Why you should always expect the unexpected
by N0b0dyImp0rtant
Summary: On an empyrical level, I knew this was a possibility. I mean, I'm no scientist, but according to quantum physics, everything is both possible and real in different timelines right? But still, I really couldn't have predicted this... How does one predict appearing in a world that's straight up identical to a game they once played? And how does magic even work anyway? Self-insert.
1. Chapter 1: Ruling out a dream

When I first noticed about the change of scenery, I instantly knew I was not dreaming.

How, you might ask?

Well it's a simple thing really.

In my experience, dreams always follow a few rules.

First: Dreams always feel like they make sense as you live them, no matter how nonsensical they may actually turn out to be when you stop to think about things.

You could meet characters you know to be fictional, or do impossible things like teleporting or flying, but you will never feel like there's anything wrong with it.

Everything will just seem right, unless you yourself decide to question it at some point, thereby entering an easily recognizable state of lucid dreaming.

Second: You simply cannot feel in a dream a sensation you cannot imagine.

For example, while you may dream about having bird wings, or even being a bird, you will still be unable to feel what it's like to have feathers.

Humans don't have any, so they are unable to understand the sensation.

Even our subconscious cannot recreate what we truly do not know.

Third: If you ever manage to determine you are dreaming, then waking up is a simple matter.

You just have to will it hard enough, really.

I had actually experienced lucid dreaming multiple times throughout my life.

I had always enjoyed the feeling of freedom and detatchment from my own body, fully aware I could snap back to it at any moment if I so wished.

My current situation, however, did not conform to any of these rules.

I don't think anybody that has not experienced what acquiring a new sense for the first time is like could ever truly comprehend what I was going through at that moment.

I could tell that I still had a body and that my other senses, the ones I grew up having, still worked, but any sensation I got from them was...

Smothered for lack of a better word, by the ones coming from the new sense I had somehow discovered.

I'm having a hard time finding the words to describe what I actually felt, at that moment...

I mean, how do you explain colors to a blind man?

But the point I'm trying to make is that I lost myself in this new feeling...

Literally.

I could feel the world around me, every part of it...

From the trees, to the insects, down to the very last bit of land I was standing on...

However, everything was...

Blurring.

One second I could make out every detail of the circular patterns inside of a tree, but the following moment my awareness shifted uncontrollably and I couldn't help but focus on a random cricket on a blade of grass.

These sensations were SCREAMING at me all at the same time, overloading my brain, and I just couldn't cope with them.

I think I fell to the ground at some point, and I felt the pain for but a moment, before it was drowned out by everything else...

I desperately tried to control this new awareness, to somehow turn it towards my own body, hoping it would help me realize the state I was in, and maybe give me a way to shut everything up, or even just dampen what I was feeling...

And then it hit me.

This new sense of mine somehow could perceive anything...

Anything but me.

When I finally focused on the spot I consciously knew my body was occupying, nothing was there according to my new sense, not even a hole in space where my body was supposed to be, just the same stream of energy that flowed through that spot, unaffected by my presence.

By that point I was...

Stunned.

I just had no idea what to do.

What was even happening?

Just...

What?

Why?

Where?

I had a million questions and absolutely no answer.

All I could do was lie in wait, praying for the world to start making sense again...

~– ~ – ~

I don't know how much time passed, while I was in this sorry state.

It could have been anything from a minute to a few hours, my carcass just lying on the ground unmoving, as my brain still failed to process the information my new sense was continuously feeding it.

And then everything changed.

Suddenly, in the sky above me, a bright energy appeared, and arranged itself in a pattern that was far too different from what I had observed so far to be natural, something I knew instinctively, though I didn't really understand how.

Then, the pattern bent and shifted, influencing the space around it, creating something that, for some reason, felt like a door, a living being stepping out of it.

I was instantly overwhelmed by its sheer might.

If I had to make a comparison to what that being's presence felt like...

It was like I was looking at the brightest light in the universe, one that however had no material component, and instead shone over my mind like a sun that was far too close.

And it hurt.

It hurt just EXISTING in front of this entity, as I felt the brilliant energy that it naturally radiated filling some part of me that had no physical dimension I could understand, to the point that it threatened to burst.

At the same time, however, I could tell that the same intangible aspect of myself was somehow being 'strengthened' by it.

Then, suddenly, another living being entered the edge of my new sense.

This one was different from the first, however.

To begin with, it was noticeably less powerful, despite still being overwhelmingly mightier than anything else around me.

Most of all, however, if the previous entity had felt like the brightest light...

This new creature was made up almost entirely of pure darkness, like a starless night sky, devoid of any form of illumination.

Also, this being felt far more...

Real for lack of a better term.

I could tell, somehow, that it was part of the world, while the first entity instead felt as otherworldly as it could get.

As soon as it appeared within my range, the dark being charged towards the other, brandishing a sword seemingly made of pure light that had appeared out of another door in space, similar to the one the first presence had stepped out of, but slightly different, the pattern of energy that created it made up of the same darkness that filled her wielder instead.

The first being took a hit from the luminous blade's hilt, staggered from it, and then struck back with incredible power...

And THAT was the moment I truly started to panic.

Because the dark creature had been blown away with great force...

And was now falling from the sky, headed directly towards me.


	2. Chapter 2: A fateful encounter

So, I guess I should probably introduce myself at this point.

Not much sense delaying this any more...

Let us start from the beginning then.

My name is Daniel, I am male, obviously human, and I am 23 years old.

Before this whole mess started, I used to live in Italy, near Milan.

Overall, I'd say I look pretty average, though my weight is definitely above that line...

Thankfully I am also fairly tall, about 180 centimeters, so it could be worse.

My face is fairly common, but people always seem to think I am older than I actually am, which can get a little frustrating sometimes.

My hair is a shade of brown so dark it might as well be called black, my eyes the same, if only slightly lighter in tone.

To be honest there really isn't much to say about me as a person.

I sort of lived by the day, without really stopping to question myself.

My life was pretty average, in my opinion, though to be honest I was never very physically active...

I dislike exercise, and always had a passion for food, probably the reason for my, shall we say, less than toned physique.

And obviously I also like games, which brings me to my predicament...

~– ~ – ~

Now, I was clearly out of my depth when it came to understanding just how bad my actual situation really was.

But the only thing I knew for sure, was that I had to move, and fast.

Whatever the dark being was, not only did it possess terrifying power on its own, if my intuition was to be trusted, but it was also falling at high speed towards my future carcass, and from what I could tell the sheer energy behind its descent would have been enough to make a crater into the bloody ground, much less blowing MY fragile ass to kingdom come.

The problem with my plan was that I had been unsuccessfully attempting to do the very same thing for the last who knew how long, and my newly discovered sense was still screaming inside my head, clouding my awareness of my own damn body...

So, as the dark being fell towards me, my mind was filled with both rage, fear and despair.

I was just SO done!

Now, I was never much of an angry person, but the frustration of being unable to move my ass to literally save my life went way past my limits...

At the same time, I considered for the first time that I was truly about to die.

No way, I just couldn't accept it...

Damn it, I didn't even know what was happening!

And then I thought of my family...

I silently wept, bracing myself for the impact...

Then my mind was flooded with relief, once I noted that the falling being had overshot me.

Of course the relief only lasted until the shockwave hit me, and I was flung onto a tree face-first.

I let out a miserable yelp, as I felt the warm blood trickle from my nose...

Wait, I had felt that!

Immediately I focused my mind on the pain, using it as an anchor for my awareness.

And then, I finally had my body back.

~– ~ – ~

I slowly stood up from the leaf-covered ground, putting my hand on my nose to stem the flow of red liquid, the intense smell of iron a sweet relief to my sanity, even as my heart beat furiously in my chest, my breath ragged.

Finally I could truly begin to comprehend where I was.

I looked around me and saw the forest.

Immediately that stood out to me.

I hadn't stopped to think about it before, but why a forest?

My newly discovered sixth sense was still there, providing me with more information about my surroundings, but I ignored it.

I touched a tree instead, feeling the rough texture of its bark rubbing on my skin.

It was definitely real, not that I had doubts by that point, my nose still hurt like fuck...

So, I was alone in an unfamiliar, potentially dangerous forest and I was bleeding.

The implications were unpleasant.

Before doing anything else, I took a moment to look at myself.

I was wearing the same outfit I last remembered putting on before going out to get some ice cream.

Loose jeans coupled with my favorite grey hoodie, a plain and comfortable shirt under it, and a pair of black and white sneakers covering my feet.

Checking through my pockets rewarded me with my wallet and phone, my earplugs still attached to the latter, thankfully all still intact even after the impact with the tree.

I immediately tried to call home, only to notice I had no signal.

That was an issue.

Wherever I was, I had to find someplace with reception, and fast...

Just as I was about to start walking in a random direction, however, another being entered the edge of my new sense I had managed to ignore until then.

Again this one felt different from the first two.

Weaker, but also...

More familiar, somehow.

The first being was gone now, and I had no idea where it had went, but I still felt the dark creature that had almost fallen on top of me, and this new presence was moving straight towards it...

At that point I had a choice to make.

I was alone and wounded in unfamiliar territory, and while I could somehow tell through my new sense that the two beings within my range were sentient, I could not be sure of their intentions.

So I had to decide on what to gamble, either my hardiness and ability to survive long enough to find my way home on my own, or the kindness of these two strangers...

Yeah, I might have been a paranoid asocial asshole most of the time, but I also knew my limits.

Besides, while there was no reason to think the two beings would be friendly, there was also no reason to think otherwise...

And I really had no better options.

So, I started walking towards the two presences, hoping and praying that I could soon find my way home...

Needless to say, I still had no idea how fucked I truly was.

~– ~ – ~

Thankfully I did not have to walk for long.

The impact site was still smoking, obscuring from sight the dark being I could still sense within the crater.

Almost simultaneously with my arrival, I felt the weaker presence nearing the edge of the trees from the other side, and instinctively looked towards it...

I swear my heart fucking stopped when I saw him for the first time.

Instinctively, I hid behind a tree and quietly gaped at the sight, my jaw hanging open, my eyes wide.

This was just not possible.

It had to be a joke, and a cruel one at that.

There was just no way...

And then the smoke cleared from the crater and I saw HER.

I didn't need to hear it to put a name to her face...

After all, how many girls with long silver hair, pale blue skin, and a fucking red snake tail could possibly exist?

Really, the young man with short purple hair, carrying a sword, and wearing a goddamn cape was just unneeded confirmation...

Still, the realization left me breathless.

...How!?

Just how was this a thing!?

This couldn't have been a coincidence right!?

I mean, the sheer implications of what I was seeing were just-

"Um, Ms monster? Are you dead?" the purple-haired boy spoke out, thankfully using words I could understand.

I was really glad I always had been good with English, despite it not being my first language.

"Wh... What should I do... If she's still alive, if I don't help her..." the youth trailed off uncomfortably.

Immediately, my blood ran cold.

I knew what was about to happen.

"What should I do? I don't have much time..." the young man lamented.

My brain went on overdrive, as my heart rate spiked.

I had to do something!

The choice about to be made would determine the fate of the world as a whole!

But I couldn't just barge in there...

If I, a human, had appeared at that moment, there was a chance that the purple-haired boy would act to keep up the appearance of hating monsters.

The two sides were still at war at this point, and one word from me could have made him out as a traitor to humanity for all he knew...

And I was grimly sure that, if that happened, the currently unconscious Monster Lord sitting in a crater made by her own still unscratched body would just kill us both without a doubt.

"Urgh, what should I do? If I don't hurry..." the purple-haired boy kept thinking aloud.

So, I just sat there and watched, frozen in place, as the young man made his decision...

~– ~ – ~

The uncomfortable silence trailed on for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, the purple-haired boy spoke up.

"If I just left her here, there's no way I could be a true hero." he declared.

Instantly, relief flooded my being once more.

I was safe, even if only for a little longer, from the wrath of the Monster Lord...

The young man ran up to the monster, closing in on her face, only for her to suddenly open her eyes.

They silently stared at each other for a few seconds.

Then, the monster finally got up.

Seeing her move was even more surreal than I had imagined...

The powerful muscles shifting under her scales were all that kept her from falling flat on the ground, in a perfectly executed balancing act.

I had seen a few videos of snakes lifting their heads and holding themselves upright before, and I remembered reading that the strength needed to do so was proportionate to their mass, but the act seemed as easy to her as any normal human standing on their legs, if not more so.

That spoke volumes of her physical strength, even without considering the immense dark power I could still feel emanating from her being.

But really, my mind was more focused on the fact that she was just...

Not human.

She was simply something else.

And that was fascinating in the same way looking at an exotic animal was.

A beat after standing upright, her mouth opened.

"Where am I?" the monster demanded to the purple-haired boy with a tone of authority.

The young man seemingly had not expected that.

"Eh?" he dumbly voiced out.

"I said, where am I?" the monster repeated with the same tone.

"Err..." the boy hesitated.

I paid close attention to the young man's next words.

I obviously already had an idea of what they would be, but I still needed to be sure.

"You're close to Ilias village..." the youth finally replied, confirming my suspicions.

I had tried not to think about the possibility before, but now I had no choice but to acknowledge it.

The realization was uncomfortable to say the least, but not unexpected.

So this really was not my world...

Panic started rising again within me, but I held myself together.

I couldn't afford to lose control, not yet...

"I was blown to such a place... That girl, what crazy strength." The monster spoke again.

"Girl?" The boy asked.

The snake-girl, however, ignored the question, favoring instead to ask one of her own.

"Anyway... Who are you?" she inquired.

"I'm the Hero apprentice Luka from the nearby Ilias Village." the boy politely replied, despite his evident confusion.

"A hero apprentice... So you haven't been baptized yet? You do smell pretty delicious..." the monster trailed off, licking her lips.

Both me and the boy shuddered at that.

A split second later, his expression lit up in realization, and he spoke up.

"That's right, the baptism! I have to get back before I'm late! Well... I'll be off then." the boy declared, trying to end the conversation.

As he tried to turn around and leave, however...

"Stop." The snake-girl ordered, before quickly using her long tail to physically restrain the boy.

Then, effortlessly, she spun him around to face her once again.

"Ahh, I understand your situation now. Today is Ilias' birthday, so you're to receive your baptism." the monster deduced in a condescending tone

"That's right, so could you please let go of me?" Luka pleaded.

"Ilias' baptism... How foolish." the monster scoffed.

"Fo... Foolish!? Whatever... Just... Just let me go alright?" The boy roared indignantly, before lowering both his voice and his eyes.

The monster stared at him with a neutral expression, seemingly not even acknowledging the request.

After a few seconds, she spoke up again.

"Why did you not kill me when I was unconscious?" she asked in a curious tone.

"Eh? K... Kill you?" The purple-haired boy stammered incredulously, as if the possibility hadn't even crossed his mind.

"A golden opportunity for someone aspiring to be a Hero... Killing a monster like me." the snake-girl elaborated.

The young man was silent for but a second before responding.

"I didn't know if you were good or bad... There was no way I could just kill you like that." he proclaimed, his tone simultaneously confused and certain, as if he was saying the sky was blue, and what he couldn't comprehend was why he even had to say it.

The monster's eyes narrowed, her tone taking on a hint of interest mixed with disbelief.

"Ho... You don't see all monsters as an enemy?" she inquired doubtfully.

"Certainly there are people who do..." Luka acknowledged, before being interrupted.

"But you want to be a Hero. Someone who doesn't treat all monsters as an enemy, why would you become a Hero, whose goal is to kill the Monster Lord? Is it for fame? Ambition? Or..." the monster pressed.

"I don't want to be that kind of Hero. I don't even hate the Monster Lord. I just want to stop her from doing evil things." Luka explained, the resolution in his words apparent only to those looking for it.

To all others those words would have sounded childish, his youthful voice not doing the young man any favors...

"What?" the monster questioned in annoyance, her expression unimpressed.

"I don't want to kill monsters or even the Monster Lord. I want a world where man and monster can coexist peacefully! If the Monster Lord gets in the way, then I'll just have to defeat her... That's what I swore to myself!" the boy declared, his tone growing more and more resolute as he spoke.

The monster blinked once, still keeping her neutral expression.

"...You're an idiot." she bluntly stated.

"Guh... Why am I an idiot!? I just want man and monster to..." the boy started, after wincing at the monster's cutting words.

"Believing in an immature view of world peace, with everyone living in harmony with no issues... What is that but idiotic?" the monster argued.

Her words were harsh, but her tone had a hint of something other than just belittlement...

The young man, however, was far too affected by the words themselves to pick up on that, simply wincing miserably again.

"A child that doesn't understand the world he's living in... Monsters living hand-in-hand with humans? When are you going to wake up from your dreaming?" the monster gently chided.

"But I..." the boy tried.

"I understand... You still have the mind of a child." the monster softly spoke, as she slowly lowered the young man to the ground and freed him from her coils.

"Just go... Little boy." she mocked in a tender tone.

"Wh.. What do you know!? You idiot!" the boy yelled out in an angry and embarrassed tone, a blush on his face, before turning away from the monster and running off...

Headed straight towards my current hiding spot.


	3. Chapter 3: Intruding and fabricating

So, done with his conversation, the young Hero apprentice started running towards my concealed position.

That woke me up from my reverie, and I started considering my options.

I could tell he had no idea I had been there the whole time, but if the monster saw me that could have been an issue...

As I looked at the spot previously occupied by the snake-girl, however, I noted she was already gone by the time the boy was halfway through the distance that separated us.

My new sense told me she was still within its range, but she was moving extremely fast in a different direction, and would soon leave it.

...Well that took care of that problem.

After taking a deep breath, I made my decision and stepped out of hiding, ready to call out to the boy...

Only for him to completely fail to notice me and run straight into my body, knocking both of us down on our asses.

"Ouch!" we both cried out after a not so graceful landing.

Then, finally the young man raised his head and looked straight at me.

After a moment of surprise, he quickly got up, and offered me a hand.

"I'm sorry! I was running and didn't see you there. Are you okay?" he asked apologetically.

I simply took his hand and let him help me up, before replying.

"I'm fine, thanks... Though, if it's not too much trouble, could you guide me to the nearest human settlement? I'm afraid I'm a bit lost..." I pleaded.

The boy looked torn for a moment before replying.

"Of course, I would be glad to help!" he agreed, his mouth stretched in a slightly strained smile.

"I'm sorry. You were probably in a hurry. If I had any other options I wouldn't ask but..." I lamented.

"It's fine. It's a Hero's duty to help those in need." he cialmed, the smile on his face a bit less strained now.

Inwardly a bit impressed (though not really surprised) by his kindness, I gratefully smiled.

"In that case, thank you very much. I will be relying on you." I declared.

"Leave it to me! I will get you to Ilias village safely! My name is Luka and I'm a Hero apprentice! You are?" Luka questioned.

"My name is Daniel, nice to meet you, Luka." I politely replied.

"Likewise, Daniel. Well then, we should probably get going before a monster shows up. These woods aren't the safest place to be..." Luka explained, before stopping for a moment.

"Hey Daniel." he called out.

"Yes?" I answered.

"When exactly did you get to that clearing?" he inquired.

Thinking fast, I lied.

"I bumped into you just as I was about to enter it, why?" I asked in a curious voice.

The boy was silent for a moment before sighing in relief.

"Oh, it's nothing. Let's go." he concluded, before we started walking.

~– ~ – ~

En route to the young Hero apprentice's village, I finally had the time I needed to think over my current circumstances, and start outlining a course of action.

So, first of all, what did I know about my situation?

One: I was in a world that so far seemed to be identical to the one described in Monster Girl Quest, a game I had once played.

In a way it was reassuring, because at least I had a pretty good idea of what this world's common knowledge (and possibly even people and future events) were like, at least compared to other possibilities...

On the other hand, this place was extremely dangerous.

I was keenly aware that the snake-girl I had seen was not the only monster in the world, and all of them predated on humans, though not always in a lethal manner, most of them simply limiting themselves to draining their victim's balls.

The game had deserved its Adult-only rating after all, despite the story being the main focus of my attention as I played it thanks to its deceptively deep and well-structured narrative, and interesting characters.

Even after seeing one of them myself, I just couldn't wrap my head around it...

Sentient beings with power beyond humans, and that fed on them as a species...

The threat they could pose to my life was overwhelming.

And that was without considering what they could do to my sanity...

I felt panic creeping back up again, but managed to bottle it up for later.

Luka was still walking beside me, and I couldn't afford to break down in front of him if I wanted to keep up appearances...

Two: Somehow, I was now able to perceive magical energy.

I had not understood at first but, now that I had more information, making the connection was easy.

Back in the game Luka and other characters could perceive how strong their opponents were and even discern their position based on a sense that was never really explained.

I now knew how that felt, though Luka himself seemed incapable of it so far.

Now, this new sense could have originated from a lot of different things.

It could have been an ability I had automatically gained upon entering this world, or maybe I had acquired it through other means that temporarily escaped my understanding...

Or it could simply be that I always had it, but my homeworld was devoid of magic and therefore I never noticed.

If this was correct, it would have explained why it had felt so overwhelming at first.

I had read somewhere that sensory overload could cause, sometimes even extreme, disorientation.

This theory made even more sense when I considered that I seemingly had no magic of my own, and that the ambient magic I was feeling seemed to pass right through me, unaffected by my presence...

Were all other humans back home the same?

I really had no idea.

Three: Ilias...

She was most likely the first being I had perceived appearing above me, before the snake-girl (whose name I knew to be Alice) and her clashed, and the former got blown towards me.

The information I had on her was far from reassuring.

A being powerful enough to be called a Goddess by the whole world, able to create life in the form of angels, and other similarly divine feats...

She was also certifiably insane.

After eons of loneliness and envy for her rival, the dark god Alipheese, she had snapped and become a ruthless warmongering narcissistic racist.

Obviously, no human other than me was aware of this fact at this point in time, and monsters born from the efforts of Alipheese were persecuted in Ilias' name from the ones that worshipped her...

She was also stalking Luka, as he was unknowingly involved in her current grand scheme.

That did not bode well for me...

I could not currently sense anyone observing us, but I remembered that not even Alice, the current Monster Lord, had been able to find anything, despite Ilias and her minions somehow always being aware of Luka's progress.

I had felt Ilias using magic to teleport, however, and Alice taking out the sword I knew to be called Angel Halo from what I could only assume was some sort of hammerspace to hit her opponent with, so maybe I would be able to tell somehow if she were to spy on us...?

I had no way to confirm this yet, however.

Now, this was what I already knew.

What did I still need to find out?

One: Why was I here?

The last thing I remembered before the change of scenery was being en-route to the ice cream store.

I still had no idea just what happened in-between the two.

The only theory I had was that there was someone behind my presence here.

I mean, the whole situation presented way too many coincidences to be anything but artificial.

On a purely statistical level, if the dimensional transfer was the result of a random event, like some sort of natural spacetime-fracture-thing I just happened to fall through, then the most likely conclusion would have been me dying, either in the vacuum of space, or burned up by a star, or even poisoned by an unbreathable atmosphere, and that's assuming the universe I got to didn't develop in different ways I could not even fathom...

But I digress.

The point is, not only was I still alive, but this was a world I even had previous knowledge thereof!

This just SCREAMED of a plan behind everything, but I had no idea what the plan was, who had made it, and why...

Two: How could I get back home?

I was clearly out of my depth on this one...

Firstly, I didn't even know if it was possible.

For all I knew, my theory about a plan behind my presence here could have been wrong, and it could have been the consequence of an irrepeatable cosmic event or something...

Still, there was no use thinking too hard on it.

The best thing I could do now was gather more information.

Magic seemed like a good start.

I mean, I had witnessed Ilias teleporting myself, so it was probably worth looking into right...?

Three: How much could I trust the information I had on this world?

So far it had appeared to be pretty accurate, but I had no way of knowing how long that would last, especially once the consequences of my presence factored in...

For a moment, I considered that me appearing in front of Luka may have had already irreversibly changed things too much, and condemned this world to its demise.

"Hey Daniel, are you alright? You seem a bit pale..." Luka suddenly asked in concern, interrupting my train of thought.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired, I walked around for some time before meeting you..." I answered, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"Ok... Just tell me if you need to take a break." he kindly offered.

"I'm okay, let's keep going." I simply declared.

'I need to get a grip, keep moving forward', I thought to myself.

So, after delineating what I did, or didn't know, what could I do with myself?

I had a few options, but none of them were too appealing to me.

I could have stayed at Ilias village, but not only did I already know about their previous distrust for outsiders that had cost Luka his mother, (a distrust that could possibly still have been present for all I knew) but also the village itself was going to be destroyed by Ilias in an angel invasion if events followed canon, making that idea a no-go.

So, I had to leave Ilias village, but where could I go afterwards?

Pretty much every human settlement would be attacked eventually, if I even managed to survive that long, and God knew how unlikely THAT was considering I was not at all a fighter.

Monster settlements were not even worth considering, what with the war still ongoing AND the fact they would still be attacked too.

Like, seriously, was there even a place that would NOT be invaded later!?

If there was, I didn't know about it.

And I had no illusion whatsoever of being able to survive in a world as dangerous as this one alone...

So, I was forced to acknowledge the fact that what I needed was allies, friends, comrades, however you wanted to call them.

And making friends in my situation also meant to pick a side...

There were, as far as I knew, six different factions involved in the main plot of the game.

Luka and Alice, Humans, Monsters, Ilias, Promestein, and Black Alice.

Luka and Alice's faction was one that fought for world peace on the ideal of coexistence.

Humans warred against monsters following Ilias' teachings.

Monsters defended themselves against Humans, sometimes proactively despite Alice's order of only exerting power in self-defense.

Ilias wanted to use Promestein's work to become a being of both Light and Dark and reign as supreme ruler of the world, though no one but her should have known about it.

Promestein herself was a bit more enigmatic, but her plan was similar to Ilias, if not for the fact that her true objective was the pursuit of knowledge, a goal I could respect, if not because her methods were definitely too... Unethical, for my taste.

And Black Alice was really the same as Ilias, but even more sadistic and cruel, which was saying something.

Honestly, the choice was easy.

Humans and monsters were a no-go, considering future events and the fact that monsters would not accept me in the first place.

Ilias and Black Alice were either too crazy or too cruel to ever consider assisting them, and Promestein would likely just make me a lab rat rather than help me.

So, I would have to join Luka and Alice's still-forming faction.

As soon as I finished that thought, I noticed that if there really was someone behind my appearance here, then that was most likely what they wanted from me.

Assuming that they knew what I knew, they did not really leave me with many possibilities, doing a pretty good job of forcing me into a corner.

So, my best option was to join a shorty wannabe Hero and a monster that literally ate humans on a journey that would span an entire world, while simultaneously trying to not get my ass killed or worse, and finding out just how I could get back home.

Oh and facing a genocidal Goddess and her multiple armies of course.

...I was already fucked, wasn't I?

~– ~ – ~

When I was finally done figuring out what to do next, Luka and I were still on the way to the village.

We had already been walking for about fifteen minutes, and I had no idea how long we had left to go, so I decided that this was probably a good time to establish a rapport.

I did feel guilty even just thinking about manipulating the kind kid, but as much as I wished I could avoid it, I really had no other choice if I wanted to survive.

I promised myself I would make it up to him somehow, and started a conversation...

"Hey Luka." I called out.

"Yes?" he quickly answered.

God, this was already awkward...

"Just thought we should maybe talk a bit? I realize I was a bit quiet there for a while, sorry, I just had a lot to think about..." I apologized.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Luka easily agreed.

I braced myself before replying.

"Well... Ilias village huh? What kind of place is it?" I asked in a conversational tone.

"Well, it's my hometown, I lived there all my life." he replied.

"Really? How was it?" I casually questioned.

Immediately after saying it, I realized I had already stepped on a landmine.

Thankfully Luka just shrugged, before answering my question.

"Eh, it's kind of a small place, not that many people coming around lately, except for the Baptism of course." he explained.

"Right. Of course." I agreed.

God I really needed to watch what I said, that could have been REALLY bad.

Luka's mom was left to die by the villagers there before most of them succumbed to the same plague that took her, for fuck's sake!

"So, you're going to get baptized today? Is that why you were in a rush?" I asked even while knowing the answer, guilt already growing in my chest.

"Yeah, if I can still get there in time..." Luka bitterly confirmed.

"You know, we could move a bit faster? I still got some running left in me before I drop..." I offered.

Luka looked torn for a second before replying.

"It's fine, you already look..." he triled off uncomfortably.

"Like shit?" I finished for him.

I really did to be fair.

I had thankfully already wiped the blood from my nose before getting to the clearing, so at least I did not look as hurt, but my face still stung and my clothes were caked with mud on the front after falling down twice.

The fact I was sweating like a pig and my breath was ragged did not help matters either.

"I wasn't gonna go that far..." luka disclaimed uncomfortably.

"No need to mince words man, I feel like crap, but I'd feel worse if my savior was late to something that important because I was too lazy." I declared.

It hurt lying to the kid...

I was fully aware that there was no point in rushing, but I really didn't know how to keep going with the conversation by that point.

I was never good at social conversation, even before having to keep secrets this massive...

I felt like a goddamn voyeur.

I increased my pace, making Luka smile a little in gratitude

"Thanks... So, what about you? Where are you from?" he inquired.

It was at this point that I felt something change.

A little ways above us, a bright energy appeared, forming a pattern once again, but it was different from before.

Instead of a door it felt more like...

A window.

Immediately, I schooled my expression and kept talking, using the excuse I had thankfully already prepared.

"Actually, my home is pretty far... I honestly doubt you've heard of it, it's in Sentora after all." I lied.

"The Sentora continent!? That IS far. Why did you come this far south then?" Luka questioned in surprise.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story... I don't mind explaining, but I would rather wait until we are at the village and you are done with your business, this pace is a bit too much for walk 'n talk..." I replied.

I wasn't even lying then, we were almost running by that point and, unathletic as I was, it was a surprise to me I had even gotten that far.

"Alright... Thanks." Luka agreed gratefully.

"No problem." I simply answered, before continuing to run the rest of the way silently, as I inwardly considered the implications of the invisible magic window in the sky I could still feel above us, trailing after our path.

I desperately hoped I hadn't given anything away by accident.

If there was one thing I was sure of, it was that holding Ilias' interest was not something I wanted...

~– ~ – ~

When we finally made it to Ilias village, I was practically wheezing.

I had never smoked, thankfully, but I did suffer from asthma when I was younger, so Luka was looking at me with a bit of worry in his eyes that I inwardly shared.

"Are you sure you're alright...?" he asked me in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, huff... Just peachy, puff..." I managed to pant out.

"Okay then... I really need to go now. We can meet at my house after I'm done, it's the one over there." Luka said, pointing to a small, but obviously well kept, wooden building.

I had been about to suggest the same thing actually, as I did not want to risk him leaving without me.

In lieu of an answer I simply gave him a thumbs up.

After a last look of worry, he took off, running much faster now, towards a marble building massive enough that I could barely see it even from the considerable distance that separated us.

As I turned to the house he had pointed at, I noticed there was a familiar dark presence already inside.

That was both reassuring and worrisome.

Reassuring because it meant my foreknowledge was still reliable.

Worrisome because she was a man-eating monster that I had no previous connection with.

Thankfully, however, Luka had forgotten a minor detail I could use to delay our encounter.

He had not given me the key to his house.

So instead of trying to enter, I simply sat around on his porch, patiently waiting for him to return.

~– ~ – ~

As I had predicted, I did not have to wait for long.

Luka's crestfallen look told me all I needed to know about his business at the temple.

He automatically went to open the door, only to stop and almost drop his keys when he noticed me getting up from my spot.

"Waah! Where did you come from!?" he loudly startled.

I blinked at him for a moment, slightly off-put by his reaction.

"...Dude, I was here the whole time. Are you okay...?" I gently inquired.

"...I didn't get baptized." Luka replied softly, his glistening eyes obviously holding back tears.

"What happened? No, wait, let's get inside first..." I solicited, before gently taking the key from his slightly trembling hand, and opening the door, before ushering him inside.

I then closed the entrance behind us, as he walked past me.

"You're slow." A familiar female voice mocked, causing Luka to visibly startle again.

"Wh... What?" he stammered in confusion.

I was still hidden from view at this point, a small partition on the left of the entrance door separating me from his interlocutor's position, in a room that I still could not see with my eyes.

My new sense, however, still provided me with the basic layout of what had to be Luka's kitchen.

"How did you find my house?" Luka asked his uninvited guest a second later.

A reasonable doubt in my opinion, that was met by an unreasonable answer.

"By scent. Smelling your unsophisticated scent once was all it took." the female voice haughtily replied.

At this point, I decided to make myself known.

"Hey Luka, who are you talking to...?" I said, as I walked past the partition and looked towards the direction Alice's voice had been coming from.

Much like I expected, there she was, snake tail and all, standing in a room I could recognize from the game's background.

What I did NOT expect was her reaction.

She startled, looking at me with wide eyes, before backing up a step (or in her case a slither) and saying a familiar line.

"Waah! Where did you come from!?" she yelled out.

I had a foreboding moment there, that I would be hearing that phrase a lot in the future...

My answer was pretty much the same as the first time.

"...Lady, I was here the whole time. I entered the house with Luka. Anyway, my name's Daniel, what's yours?" I inquired in a friendly manner.

For a moment, both human and monster stared at me with a confused expression on their faces.

Then Luka spoke up.

"...Not that I mind it, but why are you not scared? She IS a monster you know...?" he educated.

"Is she not your friend? You were talking a second ago." I curiously questioned, moving my gaze to him.

"Nnnot exactly..." he awkwardly drawled.

"Oh... Well, she seems nice. So, do you have a name?" I asked once more, the guilt I was feeling temporarily abated by the amusement I got from their confusion, helping me keeping my nonchalant facade.

"...Alipheese Fateburn. But I'll allow you to call me Alice." Alice answered, as she turned her expression and tone back to the usual haughty ones.

"Well, nice to meet you Alice." I politely replied in a friendly tone.

At that point, Luka stepped in.

"Why are you here? How did you even manage to infiltrate the village?" he demanded to the monster.

"Oh, please, infiltrating a village like this was nothing, who do you think I am? As for the reason, well, I was interested. There's also something I'd like to confirm." Alice concluded.

I couldn't help but notice how much of a non-answer that was and had to suppress a chuckle at Luka's twitching expression.

"Anyway this isn't good. I can't let my neighbors see a monster in my house." Luka finally said, as he looked away from Alice.

He then proceeded to close a few curtains, obscuring us from outside view, but not from the one window made of magic that was still floating above us.

It had followed Luka to the temple and back, making me think Ilias probably still considered me unimportant.

That suited me just fine.

As Luka finished his work, Alice just looked at me with an undecipherable expression without saying a word, making me a bit uncomfortable, as I struggled to keep my own expression relaxed.

After he was finally done, Luka turned back to Alice.

"Look, if you're here to make fun of me again this really isn't a good time, I'm already depressed because I couldn't receive my baptism..." he said tiredly.

"Hah... Hearing that is one of the reasons I came. So Ilias didn't appear for your baptism... I owed her for giving me so many wounds... Goddess that created the world... How stupid." Alice scoffed.

"Eh? What do you mean? You... What did you do...?" Luka asked in befuddlement with just a tinge of fear.

"Food." Alice interrupted, confounding Luka even more.

"Huh?" thee young man dumbly exclaimed.

"Get me some food. Make yourself useful." Alice ordered.

Immediately, alarm bells started going off in my head.

If Luka refused her, that could have been bad for me.

Mind-control magic was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.

I quickly spoke out, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"I can take care of that, if you guys want to continue talking. Just tell me where to look Luka." I offered.

Luka looked at me in annoyance for a moment, before replying.

"...There's nothing in the house. I planned on departing today, the only thing I've got is some Hoshi meat I prepared for the journey..." he explained, fetching the aforementioned food from his backpack.

"Hoshi Meat... Oh well, I'm tired... I'll just have it as an appetizer I guess." Alice conceded, grabbing the meat from Luka's hands and starting to chew on it with an unhappy expression that soon turned pleased instead.

"Hmm... It's not too bad after all. The seasoning and spices were done well... It complements the meat." she commended.

"Really? I practiced how to cook in preparation for my journey... I'll need to cook when I set up camp... Though I wasn't able to become a Hero..." Luka said, initially brightening up a bit at the praise, before finishing with a dejected voice.

I put a hand on his shoulder as a small show of support, and he looked at me gratefully for a moment.

"Oh well. I guess I'm fine with just the appetizer. I guess the main dish won't be necessary..." Alice declared.

"Eh...? Main dish?" Luka asked in confusion.

The subsequent look on Alice's face told the both of us everything we needed to know...

Uncomfortable with the awkward silence, I spoke up.

"...So, how do you guys actually know each other?" I inquired.

Instead of answering my question, however, Luka turned to Alice.

"So, why else did you come here? Are you going to make fun of me for not becoming a Hero?" he angrily demanded.

"Hrm... I guess I said too much earlier. You just sounded so childish... I couldn't help myself." Alice acknowledged.

"I've been meaning to ask actually, how old are you, Luka?" I casually interjected.

I really was curious, after all his age was never mentioned in the game, though I knew him to be younger than Alice, who was around 21.

"I'm 19. Why?" Luka asked back.

"19? You look young for your age." I noted.

"Yeah I know..." he trailed off, growing even more dejected, before I continued.

"I sort of envy that... Everyone always tells me I look older than I actually am, it's actually a bit depressing." I revealed.

"Really? How old are you?" Luka questioned, looking back at me.

"23." I simply answered.

"Wow, you do look older! I'd have said 29 or something..." Luka confessed.

"Ahem..." Alice cleared her throat loudly, getting our attention back to the previous topic.

"Anyway, that's why I wanted to clear the air on something. I've traveled around the world and seen plenty of things. While your childishness is idiotic... It's a good thing." she declared.

Luka just stared at her with a flat expression.

"What? I'm comforting you. What's with that face?" Alice asked in annoyance.

"Eh? C... Comforting!?" Luka stammered in disbelief.

"Anyway what are you going to do after this? Surely you're not going to give up going on a journey?" Alice inquired, changing the argument.

"...Just as I planned, I'm going to defeat the Monster Lord. Even if I'm not a Hero, I'll still leave." Luka replied resolutely, after taking a moment to gather himself.

I really had to control myself not to glance at Alice as he said this.

She seemingly did not notice my inner amusement, and simply smiled softly.

"Hahaha... That's good. In fact, I'm a little interested in you..." she admitted in an enticing tone.

"Interested... In me?" Luka managed to articulate, a blush already rising on his face.

"That's right. You're interesting. You're able to say such a ridiculous thing as 'I want monsters and humans to coexist' so confidently." Alice confirmed, as I noticed her gaze moving slightly in my direction, likely gauging my reaction to her words.

I consciously glued my own eyes to Luka with a curious face of my own.

Luka had instead turned around towards me, looking fearful for a moment.

Then, both of their expressions turned surprised at my apparent lack of hostility.

Feeling pressured under both of their gazes, I took a moment to collect myself, changing my look to a slightly uncomfortable one, matching my tone as I started speaking.

"...What? It sounds like a pretty nice ideal to me, if a bit difficult to achieve without help. It's the way things were before Remina, it's not like it would be unprecedented..." I shrugged.

Luka and Alice just kept staring at me, eyes wide.

I was fighting not to let my guilt show, and it wasn't easy.

I knew just how important this argument was for the both of them, and I hated that I was using their beliefs for my benefit...

Not that I disagreed with what I was saying in the least.

Even if I didn't know about future events, I likely still would have thought the same thing.

Nihil novi sub sole.

There is nothing new under the sun.

If peaceful coexistence was achieved in the past, it could be achieved again.

Finally, Alice broke the silence.

"Just... Who are you?" she demanded, her expression still dazed.

"I'm not sure how to respond if you ask me like that... Though, in retrospect, I should have expected this kind of reaction, really." I wryly acknowledged, while mentally reviewing the excuse I was about to give out instead of the insane truth.

"What? What do you mean?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Well... Remember when I told you I'm from Sentora?" I questioned, looking at him.

Alice took on a pensive expression, while Luka still looked the same.

"Yeah, why?" he confirmed.

I braced myself once more, and started talking again.

"Now, I'd like you both to promise me to keep this a secret, if at all possible. I know it's a lot to ask, but I didn't make the rules... Also, please do not press me for more details, and listen until I am done, OK? I'm really only telling you guys about this because I need your help, and I really hope I can trust you." I seriously requested.

"Um... This sounds pretty big... You can trust me, but..." Luka trailed off, his gaze moving to Alice.

She simply scoffed in response.

"Who do you take me for? My word is my bond. I will keep this secret, so long as it doesn't represent a danger to myself or others... Would this be the case?" she asked me, narrowing her eyes, as she studied my expression.

"Not really... I mean, it's a secret, but not a dangerous one, it's meant to defend us, not harm others." I wryly replied.

"Then fine, you may speak." she graciously allowed.

I took a deep breath and started to lie in earnest.

"Ok, so... As I already mentioned, my village is on the Sentora continent. However, the precise location of it is a well-kept secret. As for the reason, well..." I trailed off, looking them both in the eyes for a moment, confirming I had their full attention, the magic window above us still present.

"The village is like Remina was. Before the Slaughter, I mean. With both humans and monsters living in it peacefully." I falsely confessed.

Their reaction to my last words was the most extreme I had seen yet.

They both stood stock still for a moment, before yelling out in a loud chorus.

"WHAT!?" they shouted in unison.

I had to force myself to repress what my gut reaction would have been: laughing my ass off.

The guilt made it easier...

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, I told you, this is a secret!" I whispered, putting a finger on my lips.

"How is this possible!? How did they keep this village hidden from the Monster Lord!?" Alice demanded in a low hiss.

"I don't know whether the Monster Lord knows about us or not... But if she does, she never bothered us. The village was founded a little before I was born. My dad was actually the chief at the time, and the secret of its existence was kept ever since, as far as I know." I lied while internally cringing.

Alice took on a pensive expression again, muttering something incomprehensible to herself.

"So you guys can coexist peacefully without any problems?" Luka asked me, admiration and hope evident in his eyes.

"Well, we do have our issues from time to time, we're sort of a rowdy bunch, but we managed so far... By the way I must apologize to the both of you." I suddenly added.

"...Huh? Why would you need to apologize?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Well, I told you a small lie, Luka. I actually got to that clearing a bit earlier than I told you." I disclosed.

At that both Alice and Luka turned to me, looking fearful for a moment.

"What!? But then why would you...?" Luka trailed off.

"Well, I had just met you, and while Alice seemed reasonable enough, monsters outside of my village are not always peaceful... I knew I didn't stand a chance against her, so I hid and waited, looking for a chance to help in case she tried to hurt you. Not that I think I could have done much..." I admitted, wryly looking aside.

"Anyway, after hearing what you two talked about, I knew I needed to speak to you Luka." I finally declared, for once truthfully.

"With me? Why?" Luka asked in a curious tone.

"See, the reason I left my village? I have a dream too... And imagine my surprise, when I heard it coming out of your lips." I lied.

His eyes went wide again.

"You mean...?" he said, understanding starting to dawn on him.

"Yep. Though in my case being a Hero is not part of the plan. Especially 'cause I don't really think I could pull it off..." I said, shrugging wryly, and looking at my pudgy body.

It was weird.

The more I lied the easier it got.

The guilt however, was only growing...

"What I wanted to do was travel the world to find valiant comrades to help me, investigate the truth behind the Slaughter of Remina with them, and finally bring back the old days together." I resolutely concluded.

Luka looked at me with admiration, while Alice's expression became undecipherable.

"Why? Why would you go so far for such an impossible dream?" she asked, hiding the the unease I knew she felt.

I truly felt like scum of the earth, and I knew, at that moment, that I had already dug my own grave.

If they ever found out the truth after this...

I didn't even want to imagine.

Nevertheless I forged on, following the path I had chosen.

"...My parents are from Remina." I untruthfully declared.

Their eyes went wide again at the false revelation.

"They barely escaped with their lives, and they never talked about the Slaughter. But I knew that the official story was crap. After all... My dad's a human, but my mom's a monster." I concluded, a proud smile on my face perfectly concealing my inner turmoil.

Their dumbstruck expression was hilarious, helping me maintain the facade once more.

"How is that possible!? I've never even heard of a monster having a human child right off the bat! You should be at the very least monster-blooded, and I can't feel even a hint of..." Alice trailed off, before her eyes went even wider.

"Y...You... Why can I not sense you at all!? It's like you have no scent whatsoever! If I wasn't looking at you I wouldn't even know you were there! I can sense that ant over there better than I can sense you!" she yelled out fearfully, while pointing at the aforementioned minuscule bug crawling on the wall.

"Don't tell me... You..." she stammered, as her face suddenly paled.

I could instantly tell what she was thinking.

Now, I knew it was wrong...

But I just couldn't resist after seeing her like that.

It was simply too hilarious an opportunity.

I had to give her the coup de gràce.

"...What, you think I'm a ghost or something?" I innocently asked.

Alice stopped dead, her suspicions all but confirmed in her mind.

Then, very slowly, she turned her expression neutral, and in an instant zoomed away towards what I could only assume was the back door, smashing right through it, knocking it off its hinges, (I was very impressed by the fact it was sturdy enough to stay in one piece after being hit by a fearful Monster Lord) and disappearing from our sight.

Dead silence reigned in the room for all of two seconds, before I broke it with my unhinged laughter, and Luka started groaning about his door.

The tears that fell from my eyes at that moment, however, were not in any way linked to my laughter...


	4. Chapter 4: Holding out for the night

After I finally managed to calm down, I helped Luka fix the door Alice had broken.

Thankfully it was not too damaged, and with the both of us working on the case we managed to put it back in place with little effort.

We left his home soon after, headed to the general store.

I told Luka I had lost my backpack and all of my supplies back in the forest, after being attacked by a wild monster.

He believed me without question.

Along the way, he asked me more questions about my fictitious village.

I answered most of them with lies, and avoided the ones that could give away anything about its location, explaining to him that, while I trusted him, that secret was my privilege and my burden to carry.

After buying the essential supplies for the journey, (I promised Luka I would repay him despite his protests, I may have been a liar, but I was not going to profiteer any more than I absolutely had to) and accompanying him in saying goodbye to the other villagers, (who obviously had more defined features than the game had portrayed, though their lines were likely the same, I couldn't remember exactly) we were finally off to the road.

The currently missing Alice was a bit concerning, but I wasn't truly worried.

She had actually never left my new sense's range, which I was beginning to comprehend was apparently pretty sizable, and I knew she would be back eventually, though the thought of how I lied to manipulate her to do so still hurt.

Thus, our long journey had finally started...

~– ~ – ~

After some time spent walking in silence, Luka spoke up.

"But I wonder why I couldn't have been baptized..." he pondered out loud.

I glanced back at him, before turning my eyes to the road in front of us where I could feel Alice's presence approaching, as she had been drawing closer.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" the monster asked, slithering up to us as if nothing ever happened.

"Why did you leave like that? We had to repair the door after you ran..." Luka whined.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Alice simply replied, her expression perfectly neutral, but I could feel the hint of pure existential dread telling us not to press the issue.

Luka obviously couldn't.

"I mean when you- Ugh!" he started, before I interrupted him with an elbow to the gut and looked at him straight in the eyes, my face practically SCREAMING at him to SHUT THE HELL UP!

He thankfully got the message and I silently apologized for the unexpected blow.

I was never a violent person, I just couldn't think of a better way to stop him.

Besides, if I wanted to survive in this world, I had to acknowledge that I would more than likely need to fight at some point...

I dreaded the thought, but I knew I couldn't avoid it forever.

"...So, what are you doing here?" Luka inquired, looking at Alice.

"I already told you I was interested in you. I will follow you on your journey." she declared.

"Don't you mean 'I want to follow you on your journey'?" Luka asked in annoyance.

"I know what I said." she flatly replied.

At that point I intervened, looking to prevent any possible rejection from Luka.

"Well, the more the merrier I guess! Welcome to the group, Alice!" I smiled brightly.

Alice looked at me with an undecipherable expression, before acknowledging my subtle apology and simply starting to slither forward.

I then leaned closer to Luka's ear.

"Trust me, there was no way we could get rid of her anyways, she's way above our power level... Besides if we're fighting for coexistence, having a monster in the group is pretty much a requirement no?" I pointed out.

Luka sighed after a moment, acknowledging my argument, and that was that, my guilty heart notwithstanding...

~– ~ – ~

After some time spent walking in silence, Luka spoke up again, looking at the crimson sky, the sun setting on our left as we were heading north.

"Oh Ilias... Did you really abandon me? I waited for today for so long... And I wasn't able to get baptized in the end." he lamented, making me inwardly wince.

I knew this was going to be an issue.

I also knew better than to interfere with it, if not very carefully...

Alice obviously did not show the same tact.

"Isn't it better not to have been baptized? I don't understand why humans want to be slaves to Ilias." the monster scoffed.

"Being a hero has a lot of perks, you know. You get the respect of the people, cheap rates at inns, and you can even walk into people's houses and take stuff." Luka explained.

"Walk into people's houses and take things...? Are you a thief or something?" Alice deadpanned.

"Er, no... It's not quite like that... But most importantly, they get the divine protection from Ilias. If you come across any evil monsters, she will defend you." Luka concluded.

Now, I was aware that Monster Girl Quest was, to put it bluntly, an Adult-only game, and I also knew about the way most monsters actually predated on humans.

However I couldn't quite fully keep my cool after Alice's next words, a blush rapidly rising to my face, thankfully concealed both by my raised hood and the red setting sun.

"The semen of a baptized human tastes awful. So monsters aren't as likely to attack them." Alice elucidated, completely straight-faced.

"Ehh... Is that how it works?" Luka questioned, obviously off-put as I was by the blunt comment.

"You didn't know that? Baptized people taste like angel liver... Not very appetizing." Alice elaborated.

Luka adopted a worried and thoughtful expression, and I knew what he was thinking about angel livers...

"That's why someone like you smells delicious." Alice trailed off, licking her lips as she stared at Luka, making a chill visibly run through his spine.

Inwardly I snickered knowingly, and simultaneously thanked God I wasn't in her crosshairs...

"By the way Daniel... You never did answer my question back there. Why is it that you have no scent?" Alice curiously inquired.

Welp, time to lie again...

Or not, in this paricular case.

After all...

"I don't really know actually. Apparently I never had one. Might have to do with the circumstances behind my birth." I shrugged, not really lying, as much as using half-truths.

Not that that helped much with the guilt I still felt...

"...It was pretty useful whenever I played hide-and-seek though, so I guess I don't really mind." I added, adorning what I hoped was a foxlike grin.

Alice just silently stared at me, trying to read me.

I kept my expression still, and she finally scoffed and looked away.

Just as planned...

"Where are you headed? Going directly for the Monster Lord's castle?" Alice questioned, turning to Luka.

"Well... I'll end up there eventually. Right now, we're a little bit north of Ilias village. For now, we'll stay on this continent. Today's destination will be Iliasburg. If we keep our current pace we'll be there around this time tomorrow." Luka replied.

That surprised me.

I had thought I would slow them down enough to make us lose a day or so, but I distinctly remembered that same line from the game...

I stopped for a moment, only then noticing a pretty important detail.

...Why did I not feel exhausted at all?

We had been walking for hours, and I barely felt anything.

That was not normal...

"Oh, come on. Iliasburg, Iliasport, Ilias village, IliasIliasIlias. What's with all the cheesy names?" Alice complained in exasperation, snapping me out of my own thoughts.

"Why is everything that comes out of your mouth so horrible?" Luka lamented.

"Don't use that tone with me. More importantly, I'm hungry again." Alice threatened, before changing the argument.

"Didn't you just eat all of my Hoshi meat a little while ago? We'll set up camp once the sun goes down, so just hold out until then." Luka proclaimed.

"You'd better make an effort at it tonight. You aren't too bad at cooking after all." Alice ordered.

"And thank crap for that, 'cause I can't cook worth shit." I added.

I could put together a decent carbonara with a fully equipped kitchen, but campfire cooking?

I had no idea where to even start.

"How did you manage to get this far south being unable to cook for yourself?" Luka questioned.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know..." I swiftly lied.

Right after I said that, a new presence entered the edge of my perception, making me snap to attention.

"Heads up. We got company." I warned my allies.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't see anything." Luka asked,as he started looking around.

"You could feel it from that far away? That's impressive for a human." Alice commented in surprise.

"Well, when I said I was good at hide-and-seek I didn't just mean the hiding part... Luka, I'm going to hide now, I'll be close in case you need me." I declared.

"What? Why can't you just stay here...?" Luka pleaded.

"...Luka, I've never been in a fight before. I would just be a liability if it came down to a battle. Also you're going to have to become much stronger than you are now, if you want to achieve your dream, and to do that you will need to temper yourself in combat." I explained, guilt rising in me again from how I was using my ally's dream against him.

"Oh... Ok then." Luka acquiesced despite his obvious reluctance, his expression growing more resolute by the second.

"I will be hiding as well. Even if you need help though, I won't intervene." Alice flatly declared.

"What!? Why!?" Luka roared indignantly.

"Don't be hasty. I'm not your companion or your ally, I'm just observing you. So if you end up as a monster's food, I'll just abandon you. Plus, I don't want other monsters to see me." Alice elucidated.

"...I get it. I don't need your help anyway!" Luka yelled out, his expression resolute once again, but not without just a tinge of annoyance.

"I'm glad you understand, just do what you can." Alice concluded, before disappearing quickly from our sight.

I could still feel her within my range, before almost losing track of her as her presence seemed to diminish close to the point of disappearing.

So I could still feel her magic when she was hiding huh...?

Good to know.

After nodding to Luka once more, I quickly concealed myself behind the local flora, just a few moments before the new presence showed itself.

Out of the woods surrounding us came what appeared, at first glance, to be an elegantly dressed young woman.

However, on closer inspection, her lower half was not covered by a long skirt like it had seemed at first, but rather by a thick, slimy exterior, and she left behind her a trail of disgusting-looking mucus as she moved along the ground.

"...A traveler? ...Not baptized either. You look delicious." the Slug Girl spoke in a hungry tone.

I had expected it, but no matter what, it was still just a surreal spectacle...

Again, before my eyes, was a creature that was simply something other than human, despite the similarities our respective species shared.

My eyes were glued to her form in macabre fascination.

I instantly regretted that when she lifted her faux-skirt, revealing the disgusting flesh beneath, unknowingly forcing me to resist the urge to loudly gag in horror, lest I revealed my existence to her.

"While tasting my sticky mucus, I'll let you come over and over..." The Slug Girl said in a sultry voice.

And then the 'battle' started.

I'll admit, I wasn't really sure what to expect.

I mean, the way monsters fought in the game was meant to tempt the player into giving up and letting them do as they pleased with Luka, employing all sorts of so-called 'pleasure attacks'.

However, this was not a fake world behind a screen anymore.

These were living, breathing, intelligent beings, and porn logic didn't apply here, right...?

Wrong.

So very wrong...

Luka started the battle pretty much how I expected, pulling his sword back before quickly striking the monster with the blade to absolutely no effect, the slimy and bouncy exterior of the Slug Girl effortlessly dampening the momentum behind the blow.

"No way... My attack..." Luka stammered in disbelief.

"You can't cut me with such a weak attack." The monster gloated.

"Crap... What should I do?" Luka asked fearfully, taking a step back.

And then the Slug Girl said a line I will never be able to forget.

"I'll give you a taste of my sticky mucus." she said with a hungry smile, while simultaneously spraying Luka's groin with said substance, his reaction being to moan softly.

How I managed not to vomit at the sight, I will never know...

"Well, if a slash doesn't work... How about a stab!?" Luka voiced out, before attempting to implement his new strategy.

Again, the attack had no effect whatsoever, the elastic body of the slug rebounding back the future Hero's sword.

"Dammit!" Luka cursed.

"I'll get on top of you... With this slug body." The Slug Girl declared, before proceeding to rush Luka at a faster speed then either of us expected, knocking him into the ground, her lower half climbing on top of his body.

"Here... Have a taste of a sticky hell! When you can't take it anymore... Just let it out!" the monster demanded.

Luka started to struggle, desperately trying to get free from the sticky monster.

I was almost tempted to step in at this point, but thankfully Luka managed to free himself before too long, a disgusting schlop resounding from the act.

"...You didn't like my slimy hell...?" the slug asked in a disappointed tone, as Luka tried to clean himself off a bit.

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and started rummaging into his backpack...

However, this was the time I chose to intervene.

After all, I did not fancy the idea of eating flavorless meals anymore than Alice did, especially since I had already skipped dinner...

Apparently, this place was on a different time zone from where I had come from.

Hoping and praying that my idea would work, I picked up a pretty hefty rock from the ground, and threw it directly at the slug girl, before quickly moving to another position.

The Slug Girl let out a startled yelp of pain as the rock hit her squarely on the head.

I had actually aimed lower, but I never was much of a good shot...

"Hey! It's not nice to throw rocks at people! Show yourself!" the monster shouted in rage, as she started to look around.

However she could not find me, as I had already moved a ways behind her.

Luka, in the meantime, had stopped rummaging, now busy watching the new development with a confused expression.

I picked up another rock and threw it, this time hitting the monster in the shoulder with greater force.

I had held back on the first throw, but seeing as she was durable enough to shrug off a hit to the head, I aimed even lower and increased the strength.

At that the monster yelled out in pain again.

"Stop it!" she demanded, before starting to back up from Luka, looking at her surroundings and failing to find me once again.

She then turned to my ally again, her next words letting me know that the battle was finally over.

"I... I'll remember this!" she cried out, before quickly sliding off into the woods she had appeared from.

Soon, she disappeared into the vegetation, moving quickly towards the outside of my range.

"She's gone..." Luka sighed in relief, staring at the direction the Slug Girl had ran away towards, and sighing in relief.

"...What a pathetic looking fight." Alice scoffed, as she reappeared before the purple-haired young man.

"Oh, there you are Alice. Daniel, where are you!?" Luka yelled, calling out to me.

I simply could not resist.

I loudly cleared my throat standing right behind them both, making them let out a startled yelp, and turn around to face me.

I simply snickered in response.

"Stop doing that!" Luka shouted angrily, holding his chest.

"Not my fault you guys always lose track of me. What am I supposed to do about it?" I innocently asked, earning myself a glare from the both of them.

Totally worth it.

"...Anyway that was pathetic. Even Daniel showed better judgment than you did." Alice scoffed, returning to the previous argument.

"I'll have you know, I had a plan to win that fight!" Luka countered.

"Yeah, let me guess... Salt, right?" I surmised.

"Yeah! Genius right?" Luka said with a smile.

"Except that, if you did that, we would be eating flavorless food until Iliasburg." Alice deadpanned.

"I couldn't help it! I was desperate!" Luka defended himself.

"Now Alice, I agree with you, which is why I intervened as I did, but do cut Luka some slack. This was an uphill battle from the start, and his life is more important than some salt on our dinner... Especially 'cause without him we wouldn't have anyone to cook it." I pointed out.

"Hmm... True. Still, I stand by my opinion, that fight was pathetic." Alice declared.

"Hey!" Luka roared indignantly.

"Now, more importantly, it's almost time to set up camp. By the way, what are we having for dinner?" Alice questioned, completely ignoring his outburst.

Luka just glared at her, before sighing and starting to walk again, headed towards a nearby clearing large enough for us to set up camp in.

I was already salivating.

~– ~ – ~

We finished setting up camp pretty quickly, though I wasn't much help.

I had never went camping in my life, and I basically had to sneak-peek at what Luka was doing when it came to setting up my own tent.

Thankfully Alice was too busy slacking off to notice my predicament, which served as a distraction for Luka as well.

After we were done with the setup, it was time for Luka to cook.

By that point I was pretty much starving.

I had rarely skipped a meal in my life, and I had never walked for quite that long...

Which brought me back to the thoughts I was having before the Slug Girl attacked.

I was sure something was up with my body.

Even with all the hunger, I could still tell I had some energy to spare, when the me before today would already be feeling tired after walking my dogs for a measly hour.

Not only that, but when I had lifted the rocks I had thrown at the slug-girl, they had felt lighter then they probably should have been.

They weren't boulders or anything, but a rock the size of my fist would still weight something.

I wondered what might have caused this...

Was gravity lower here?

But then why had I been that exhausted when I had gotten to Ilias village with Luka?

No, there had to be something else...

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Luka calling me and Alice for dinner.

We both immediately picked a spot near the fire, and took the plates Luka handed us, both topped with a delicious smelling piece of bread, an omelet, and a salad seemingly made of wild grass.

I devoured it greedily, bite after bite, despite never having eaten omelet before.

I had to admit, Alice was right about Luka's impressive cooking skills...

And everything was properly salted as well.

"Well, I'm glad you were able to save the salt, Daniel... I don't think we would have eaten this good without it." Alice said in a pleased tone.

"All credit goes to the cook, Alice. I'm pretty sure he could make ROCKS taste good." I replied.

I sincerely thought that, the little man was a goddamn cooking wizard.

"I'm really not that good, I just practiced a lot..." Luka disclaimed, a small blush rising on his face at the praise.

"If only you were as good with your sword..." Alice lamented, causing luka's shoulders to drop and his eyes to look aside, his blush still present.

"Where did you learn your technique? It's so horrible it pains me to watch." Alice inquired.

"What are you saying Alice... I've been training for more than five years..." Luka replied dejectedly.

"Five years? I thought it was your first time. Just what were you wasting your time doing?" Alice asked in surprise.

"I learned from pilgrims who came to visit the temple. I mixed the different things into my own style..." Luka explained.

"Crappy skills learned from crappy people will be crappy even if combined." Alice deadpanned, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"...Alright, I'll teach you a little." she finally declared.

"It's alright, you don't need to..." Luka started.

"Dude. Take it. Not only do you need this, I do too." I immediately interrupted.

Both my allies looked at me in surprise.

"...I thought you said you weren't going to fight." Alice pointed out.

"Actually, I only said that I would be a liability if I did. Well, yeah, I'm not gonna go out yelling and swinging a sword anytime soon, but I don't want to be a burden if I ever get involved in a scrap..." I explained.

I meant every word.

This world was a dangerous place and I would need every advantage I could get.

The encounter with the Slug Girl had made the stakes clear.

And I'm not ashamed to say I valued my life, AND my virginity very much.

"It's just... Learning swordplay from a monster seems a bit odd." Luka voiced weakly.

"Is that discrimination? 'I want to coexist with monsters', But you don't want to train with them?" Alice questioned.

"No, that's not really what I was saying..." Luka trailed off, looking uncomfortably to the side, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Alright... Please teach me." he concluded resolutely.

"Good. I'm not your ally, but it would be pretty boring if you two were eaten quickly. I will train you to fight against monsters." Alice declared, looking at the both of us.

"P... Please do..." Luka pleaded.

Soon after that, me and Luka started training.

~– ~ – ~

We spent a few hours moving under Alice's direction.

Luka's training obviously focused on his swordplay, and even an amateur like me could tell he was visibly improving, his movements growing ever more graceful and swift.

In particular, Alice had improved his basics, and was now teaching him a technique whose name I already knew before she had mentioned it.

In the meantime, I had picked up a simple dagger Luka had insisted in buying me back at Ilias village, and I was familiarizing myself with its weight while trying some of the simplest moves Alice had taught me, pretty much just stabbing and slicing the air, careful not to hurt myself.

Some muscle training was included in the regime as well, to help me lose some unnecessary weight and improve my flexibility.

Thanks to this, I also noted that, indeed, my endurance had increased.

The previous me would likely have dropped after just the first few sets of exercise.

I still had no explanation for this, however, and whatever the true reason was, it also didn't stop my muscles from feeling like they were on fire, which was the whole point...

Regardless, I had to admit, Alice really did know her stuff when it came to teaching.

She was crystal clear in what she wanted us to do, and corrected every mistake we made with infinite patience.

"Right there, you need to use your feet as you swing. Don't just use your arm strength when you swing your sword." she explained to Luka.

"L.. Like this?" he responded, while attempting to do as she had described.

The sound of a sword cutting through the air resounded in the clearing.

"Hm. Not bad. This is the best technique for someone small like you. A small body is good when you charge in and cut the enemy's neck. It's said that the dark elf Zack was able to cut off the heads of 100 humans using that move." Alice recounted.

"Err... I was hoping you could teach me a more... Hero-like technique." Luka awkwardly pleaded.

"Beggars can't be choosers." Alice scoffed.

"That's true... But my image as a hero..." Luka lamented.

"Shut up. We're practicing right now, whether you want to or not." Alice declared.

"Ehhh...!?" was Luka's only answer.

~– ~ – ~

The training for the day finished soon after, and both me and Luka started preparing for the night.

"Alice, are you not going to use a sleeping bag?" he inquired to the motionless snake-girl.

"I don't want to be covered by something so restrictive... I'll just sleep here." Alice replied, as she coiled her tail around a nearby tree.

"...By the way, idiot. Where did you get that ring?" Alice suddenly asked, looking at Luka's hand wearing the aforementioned accessory.

I barely restrained my wince.

I already knew about the ring of course.

I had also felt what Alice had since the moment Luka entered my range the first time, though I purposefully hadn't dwelled on it.

It was a major plot point after all, serving to restrain Luka's true nature and power.

However, at this point in time neither of them knew that...

"You can't eat this, Alice" Luka reprimanded.

I could tell that this was indeed a sore point to him.

"Moron... What the hell do you think goes on in my mind?" Alice scoffed.

"It's just that you're always complaining about how hungry you are..." Luka trailed off.

"Idiot. I feel something faint from that ring." Alice explained.

"Something faint? I don't know what you're talking about. This is my mother's keepsake. Ten years ago, she died of an illness." Luka explained, pain evident in his voice.

"I see... I'm sorry to hear about that." Alice acknowledged in a more subdued and sympathetic voice than ever before, closing her eyes in an understanding expression.

Not as much as I was, I bet...

"Eh? Ah... Thanks." Luka acknowledged, obviously taken aback by the unexpected change of tone.

"...What's with the surprised look on your face? We're the same as humans in that respect. We both are sad when a parent dies." Alice remarked, reminding me of HER mother, whom, of course, I also already knew about...

The guilt just kept growing.

"Of course... That's right." Luka agreed.

"What about your father? Is he still alive?" Alice inquired, as I resisted the urge to bolt.

I knew I needed to hear this, if I still wanted to keep up appearances later on...

I couldn't risk accidentally talking about something I shouldn't have known.

Also, the magic window Ilias was more than likely using to spy on our group was still floating leisurely above us, making me even more desperate not to give anything away.

"No... He died before my mother did." Luka emotionlessly replied.

"Ah, I see... Your father went off to fight the monster lord and never came back. That's why you took up your father's wishes, and trained to be a hero. Did I get it right?" Alice deduced.

However...

"Sorry, but you're wrong. That guy died of his own stupid mistakes" Luka harshly ground out.

Again, I couldn't help but think of what I knew to be the actual truth, one that not even Luka himself knew yet...

The guilt grew again, as I bit my own tongue in a desperate effort to keep my expression a mask of sympathy, concealing my true emotions.

'Just a bit more', I thought to myself.

"Hmmm... That's unusual. Someone whose head is filled with sugar and rainbows, to say something like that..." Alice trailed off, her expression full of curiosity.

"Enough about me. What about you? Why are you here?" Luka questioned, looking at Alice.

"I'm..." Alice started, before staying silent for a few seconds, closing her eyes in thought.

"I'm the only daughter of the Fateburn family. I wanted to see the world, so I set out a few days ago." she finally concluded.

"Really?" Luka asked.

"Basically." Alice answered with a knowing grin on her face.

However, I could feel the pain hidden behind it.

And once again, I already knew the reason for it...

Thankfully, Luka helped distract me with his nonsensical follow-up question.

"You couldn't possibly... You aren't inspecting the human cities in preparation for an invasion... are you?" he inquired with a fearful expression.

I couldn't help the snort escaping my nose at that moment.

"Hahaha... What an interesting idea." Alice chuckled, before pulling out a tome from what was likely the same space she kept Angel Halo stored in.

"Look at this book! This forbidden book contains everything about the human world. Geography, environment, food... It has it all!" she proudly declared, lifting the book up high in a theatrical manner.

"Ah... The Traveling Guild's World Traveler Guide... What the! This book is marked year 867! This book is 500 years old!" Luka yelled out in disbelief.

"Oh? I thought it looked a little old." Alice said nonchalantly.

"That's amazing... This is like a piece of history. I wonder how much we could sell this book for..." Luka pondered in a fascinated tone.

In fact, I had just had the same thought.

Not only did I have a debt to repay to Luka, but there also was something I desperately wanted in Iliasburg that I needed funds for.

The only problem was...

"I'm not selling it you idiot." Alice scoffed.

Luka looked crestfallen, and I could tell he had already surrendered to Alice's refusal.

However, I had no intention to give up so easily.

I needed that money.

Even if I had to sell my soul to have it...

"Why not? I get that you might want to keep it, but with the money you would make by selling it you could buy the latest version. I'm sure plenty of good restaurants and such popped up in the last 500 years after that book came out. If you want to know about them you're going to need some money. Also..." I trailed off uncomfortably for a moment.

"I get that you are not our ally or our comrade, but if you eat our food you're actively worsening our financial situation. I'm sure that the only daughter of the Fateburn family would never impose on two poor travelers..." I finished looking at her with a bright smile that did not at all reflect what I actually felt within.

Alice narrowed her eyes at me, no doubt considering my words and the hidden meaning they held.

Finally she looked once more at her book and spoke in a pensive tone.

"...You have a point. Humans are quite short-lived creatures after all..." she acknowledged.

'Success', I inwardly exulted.

One more step towards survival...

"Fine, I will sell this book. And since you are so worried about your petty coin, I will allow you to use the money to buy me the new version as soon as we get to Iliasburg." she graciously conceded.

"And...?" I drawled.

"And you may keep the change. It's an insignificant amount to me anyway..." Alice declared pridefully, her head held up high.

"Thank you kindly for your generosity, Lady Fateburn." I bowed respectfully, despite my inner amusement mixed with guilt.

Alice simply scoffed in response.

Luka just looked at me with wide eyes, his expression dumbstruck.

For once, I had no idea what he was thinking.

After he finally managed to take his eyes off of me, he shook his head and spoke up.

"Anyway... It's about time to go to sleep." he proclaimed, before starting to get up.

Here it was.

Just a bit longer.

"Faa... I'm exhausted after today. Good night Alice. Good night Daniel." Luka yawned, before moving towards his tent.

"Uh-huh." Alice replied dismissively.

Finally, it was time.

"I'm going to go take a leak before lying down. Be right back." I told my allies.

"Oh, ok... Don't go too far." Luka pleaded.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." I assured, as I started walking, Alice's halfhearted gaze following my silhouette until I finally I left the clearing.

Immediately I checked if the magic window Ilias was likely behind was trailing after me.

Thankfully, it wasn't.

I walked for about five minutes, until I was reasonably sure I was finally in the clear, my new sense registering no unfamiliar sentient beings within my range and my allies well out of earshot.

Then I stopped making the effort.

My facade crumbled like a castle of cards, and I fell down on my ass on top of the roots of a large tree, breathing raggedly.

Tears started pouring out of my eyes as I sobbed uncontrollably, my whole body trembling as I hugged my own chest.

I spent a few minutes just lying there like that, careful not to make too loud a sound, keeping my new sense focused on my surroundings to prevent any possible encounter.

Thankfully nothing and no one showed up.

After my initial crisis was over, I unzipped my hoodie's pocket that I had purposefully avoided even touching until that moment, and I pulled out one of the only two proofs of my real origin.

My smartphone.

I pushed the familiar button on the side and the screen lit up softly.

The time was a little before 6 AM, at least in my old world's time, and the charge was at 85%.

I unlocked the screen, and, for the first time, I regretted never taking photos of my family and friends when I could.

After a moment more, I accessed what was pretty much the only thing the device in my hand was good for now...

My precious 600 Megabytes of music.

Funnily enough, the majority of it was made up from soundtracks and covers of various anime I had watched and games I had played...

The irony was not lost on me.

Still, I would not get that many chances to do this again, if any, so I opened the app I habitually used to listen to all my songs, and instead of losing time to choose one, I pressed shuffle.

The first notes started playing in my ears, as I leaned back on the tree bark, my gaze moving upwards, taking in stars belonging to a different world for the first time...


	5. Chapter 5: Understanding and freezing

After listening quietly to a few more songs, I knew my time was running out.

The excuse I had used to get some privacy from my allies would only last for so long.

I tiredly lifted my hand, still holding my smartphone in it and closed the music app.

Then I turned the device off completely.

If I wanted to save as much battery as possible, this was the best option.

Not like anyone could reach me with it anyways, I was pretty sure different worlds weren't covered by any telecommunication companies...

After putting my most precious possession back in my swiftly zipped up pocket, I attempted to get my ass off the ground, only for my legs to scream at me in indescribable PAIN.

Seriously, I had had muscle pain before, but this was on a whole new level!

I staggered, and had to hold myself up using the tree I had been leaning my back on.

What the hell!?

It hadn't hurt this much before when I had gotten up after sitting at the campfire!

It was as if my newfound endurance was gone in the wind, leaving me on my last legs.

"Agh! Fuck! this hurts!" I couldn't help swearing, even as I walked away from the tree.

I had to get back to camp.

I was a sitting duck out there.

~– ~ – ~

As I moved with shaky steps towards the campsite, I noticed a few things.

First: the magic window above my allies was gone.

Second: Luka's presence was somehow different, the pattern of energies around him brighter and twisted.

I remembered that Ilias was supposed to visit him in his dreams tonight.

That was probably happening right now.

Third: The more I walked, the more steady my stride got...

Wait, what?

I stopped for a moment.

The pain was still there, but my energy had somehow been replenished.

I moved a few more steps and confirmed my theory: the closer I got to the camp, the better my exhaustion got.

But why?

What could this have meant?

What had changed?

No matter what, I just couldn't understand.

Where had this energy come from...?

With no answer forthcoming, I walked the rest of the way to camp, quietly entering my tent and sleeping bag without waking either of my sleeping allies.

~– ~ – ~

I was awakened by a shout coming from the only other tent.

"I...Ilias! Alright! I can do it!" Luka resolutely exclaimed.

"Ugh, what's with all this noise early in the morning? Whatever. Make me something to eat." Alice demanded, looking at Luka.

"Did I hear about something to eat?" I quickly asked, my head poking out of my tent.

~– ~ – ~

Minutes later, we were finishing our breakfast consisting of more bread, salad and fried eggs.

Despite the ingredients being close to the same as last night, I was pleased to note the mad cooking wizard I found myself traveling with did not disappoint.

Seriously, they were just eggs, how in the world did he make them taste like heaven!?

I didn't even like eggs that much!

~– ~ – ~

Before retrieving our supplies, Luka voiced out a heartfelt prayer to his goddess.

"Oh Ilias... Please give me your blessing today as well." he pleaded.

I limited myself to looking away from him with an uninterested expression, but Alice was a bit more vocal in her disagreement.

"Already saying stupid things so early in the day?" she scoffed in disgust.

"I'm just giving my thanks to Ilias. One of Ilias' five commandments is to be dutiful in your prayers" Luka explained.

"Five commandments? Ilias likes to make people do stupid things, huh? And to do these things so happily... Do you really like being her slave? At least Daniel doesn't seem to be that eager to please that woman..." Alice trailed off, looking in my direction.

And suddenly, I was involved in their conversation...

I had not expected that.

"...Daniel, do you not worship Ilias?" Luka timidly asked.

I knew this was a turning point.

I could tell my answer here could irreversibly change things.

The question was: What did I want?

I had already considered the effects my presence here could have.

However I still did not know how best to proceed.

One thing was for sure though.

Revealing my true origin was out of the question.

Even if Ilias wasn't back to watching us with magic, (which she was if the presence of a familiar window-like pattern of energy above us was any indication) I still had no guarantee I wouldn't be abandoned by Luka, or devoured by an enraged Monster Lord.

In the end, I was forced to keep up the same lie I had already started...

"...No, Luka, I don't." I finally admitted.

"What...? Why?" Luka questioned in a hurt voice, obviously worried I would denounce his faith too, as Alice had.

"Well, it's complicated... There are some things she teaches that I appreciate, but not all of them." I uncomfortably replied.

"How so?" Luka inquired.

"Well, Ilias encourages us to be kind and compassionate to each other, and that much I obviously agree with, but I can't really get behind the dutiful prayer thing... I can live without her blessings, and if obtaining it requires asking for it every time, I figure I can just save us both the trouble so that she can concentrate on giving her blessings to those that need them more than me." I explained.

Luka looked torn for a moment, before Alice started talking again.

"Besides, doesn't Ilias hate monsters? Doesn't that go against what you believe in? And what about your mother Daniel?" Alice added.

Right.

My lie.

I needed to be more mindful of my fabrications.

My life literally depended on them...

"Well, obviously there's also that... Can't really say I agree that my mum should die because of her species." I hastily agreed, nodding my head.

"Even if that's the case..." Luka weakly voiced.

"Besides, what's with her prohibition on relations with monsters? Most monsters can't breed if they don't mate with humans. So for as many monsters as there are in the world, there are just as many humans who have broken that law." Alice pressed.

"Ah! That's true...!" Luka exclaimed in realization.

"Did you just realize that now? Idiot." Alice insulted.

"Are there really that many people out there who have broken her commandments? Wait... Wouldn't following that be effectively exterminating monsters by not allowing any offspring...?" Luka deduced, his tone becoming more and more uncomfortable as he went on.

"Wouldn't that be an issue for you? If everyone follows that law, the world you dream of will collapse. Do you still think it's something good?" Alice kept pressing.

Luka's gaze wavered a little, before he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

When he opened them again, he spoke up in a serious tone.

"...I'm sure Ilias has some sort of plan." he finally declared.

"Geeze, you can't think for yourself huh? Must be convenient to blindly follow a god like that..." Alice scoffed in resigned exasperation.

"You don't need to say it like that... Shall we head out? If we waste too much time, we won't make it to Iliasburg before nightfall." Luka proposed.

"Hmm... That would be troublesome." Alice agreed, as we continued packing up our supplies.

~– ~ – ~

After we were done unmaking our camp, we set off again, walking north towards Iliasburg at a good pace.

I Idly noted that my muscle pain was gone after the night, something I was VERY thankful for, even if I didn't really know why it happened...

Seriously, it was driving me nuts.

It just didn't make sense!

It was like the closer I was to the rest of the group, the more energy my body had!

Wait...

Energy?

And suddenly there it was.

I felt like an idiot for not realizing earlier.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my new sense, focusing it on my position.

I still could not sense myself, but I COULD once again feel the flow of the energy that passed through me.

And that energy was a lot darker in nature then the first time.

I followed the pitch-black power back to it's source, a silhouette of living darkness slithering forward a little ways from me, bleeding minuscule particles of shadow from every pore, like spores from a fungus.

I quickly bit my tongue, using the pain as my anchor once more, pulling myself out of my self-induced trance-like state.

My allies hadn't noticed me stopping, as I had been walking behind them both.

I rushed forward to catch up to them, as I considered the implications of my new discovery.

So, somehow, my body was being affected by Alice's energy.

How was this happening?

And what did it mean?

I remembered how I felt when Ilias had shown up, the sensation of a part of me I could not comprehend the physical location thereof filling up like a balloon threatening to pop, but at the same time being strengthened.

Was this the same?

But why had I not noticed it earlier?

Ilias was stronger than Alice, true, but not by such a large margin that it would make this big a difference, at least I thought.

I could have been wrong of course, maybe there was a sort of threshold, but my intuition told me there was something else...

If it wasn't the amount then maybe it was the properties of the energy itself?

Well, what did I know about the powers of Light and Darkness?

Firstly, I knew they weren't the only ones around.

There were also the four elements. Fire, Water, Earth and Wind.

But while the latter ones had easily defined properties, Light and Darkness were a bit more enigmatic.

What could you do with them?

Well, Ilias could perform many different feats with Light energy.

Teleportation, scrying, healing wounds, she could even use it to create Angels made completely out of it, without the need for a material component.

As for Darkness, Alipheese the first...

My heart stopped as soon as the thought had fully formed.

Alipheese the first had used her dark power to mutate the world's creatures into monsters.

Was this what was happening?

Was I turning into a monster simply by being near one?

Panic rose within me, alarm bells going off in my mind like crazy.

How!?

If being near a monster was enough to become one, this world would be full of them!

Except I was not from this world...

My thoughts ran unbidden at this point, faster than ever.

I had no magic of my own.

Assuming that a being's own magical energy automatically served to defend its owner against external factors to a degree, like an immune system, (which even made sense by an evolutionary standpoint) what would happen if a one without any magic of its own were to be exposed to said external factors?

It would simply not be able to resist at all.

It was like Dark energy acted as a virus, entering my cells and rewriting their coding to fit its needs.

Needs I knew absolutely nothing about.

My left foot touched the ground, completing the step I started when I felt my heart drop.

Everything seemed so slow, my mind running at a thousand miles per second.

I was fighting not to let my panic show, lest the Goddess spying on our group got any ideas my heart beating loudly in my chest, sweat forming on my brow...

'What do I do? What do I do!?' I thought ceaselessly, as I kept on walking, desperately acting as if nothing was wrong...

~– ~ – ~

Luka's voice snapped me out from my thoughts at the same time I first felt a new presence slightly below ground-level standing still at the edge of my perception, right in the direction we were headed.

I instantly realized what that meant.

The Mandragora.

What would happen if her scream was magical in nature?

Would I die, just like that, if I heard it?

"I've only been to Iliasburg once before, a few years ago. It's a huge city... The main street was filled with adventurers, merchants, and all sorts of people. Tons of different things in all the shops, too." Luka explained.

"Hahaha... I'm also looking forward to it." Alice said in excitement.

"Looking forward to it? You are?" Luka questioned in a surprised tone.

"The famous Sutherland Inn at Iliasburg is known for their Happiness Honey-filled Ama-Ama Dango. Any gourmet would salivate at the thought of tasting it." Alice spoke in a happy tone, quoting her ancient book.

"I don't know if the hotel is still there from 500 years ago." Luka pointed out.

"What are you saying? It's only been 500 years. I'm sure it's still there." Alice declared.

Luka looked at her and sighed, no doubt thinking about monsters' issue with time perception.

"Hmm...? What is this?" he wondered aloud, looking straight at the leaves of the Mandragora we had been drawing closer to.

Immediately I tried to say something to him, only to find myself incapable of doing so, as something wrapped around me and pulled me from behind, circling my head along with the rest of my body, covering my mouth and ears.

Looking behind me I saw Alice holding me with her tail, as she moved at high speed away from Luka without making a sound, the scenery blurring past us.

"MMMPH!" I let out a muffled yell as I started to struggle uselessly, her strong appendage giving absolutely no slack.

"Oh, calm down a little, It's just a Mandragora, he's going to be fine..." Alice sighed in annoyance, as if my struggles were nothing more than a small, childish tantrum.

I just glared at her with all the intensity I could muster, as a muffled high-pitched scream barely reached my ears from a distance.

"I did save your life you know? The fake Hero's probably strong enough to survive, but you? If your energy is so weak that not even I could sense it, the Mandragora's scream would be enough to kill you ten times over." Alice lectured, as if she was speaking to a small child.

I was forced to admit she likely had a point.

I did have the same thought just a little while before, after all...

I stopped struggling, my expression turning from enraged to simply annoyed.

"Good. He should either win or be eaten soon, it won't be long either way." Alice concluded, her tail still restraining me.

"Mph." I let out.

"Hm? What is it?" she inquired, looking at me curiously.

"Mph!" I repeated louder, with a pointed look at the tailtip covering my mouth.

"Oh, fine..." Alice conceded, as the long appendage removed itself from my lips, finally letting me speak, though my body was still held aloft by the rest of her lower half.

"Let me go." I asked plainly, trying my best to keep my voice calm.

"What's the matter? Have you never been held before? That sounds pitiful." Alice said in a mockery of a flirt.

"Let me go." I simply repeated.

"Why should I?" Alice condescendingly asked, a small smirk on her face.

I took a deep breath, before speaking with a calm, calculated tone.

"Because I have always respected you, and have done you no wrong. Because I am my own person, and I have a right to be touched only with my permission. And because if you don't, I will never forgive you." I evenly concluded, my voice as cold as the chill of the grave.

Alice's eyes widened at my unexpectedly gelid response, reflexively loosening her grip on me.

I finally dropped to the ground, landing on my feet.

"Thank you." I drily acknowledged, before turning my back to her, and starting to move towards where Luka was, the Mandragora thankfully having failed to drag him down in the ground with her.

Even as I walked under the warm sun, however, my body still felt cold as ice, my mind filled with both fear and despair...


	6. Chapter 6: Standing before a dragon

I reached Luka's position as he finished pulling his pants up, a blush on his face, his breath ragged.

"Waah! Where did you come from!?" he startled as soon as I approached, yelling out a familiar phrase.

However, I did not feel like indulging myself in his antics for once.

"Ask Alice." I deadpanned with a hint of annoyance, as I felt the aforementioned snake-girl slithering behind me.

I pointedly did not turn around.

"...What happened?" Luka asked in confusion.

I simply stayed silent, stoically staring to the side, my gaze away from both of my allies

They both looked uncomfortably at me, not saying a word either.

Then, Alice shook her head and turned to Luka.

"You drove it away? How absurd." she scoffed.

"Ah... Alice. Where did you go off to?" Luka asked.

"If there's even a chance of combat, I'm going to hide. I told you before that I'm not going to help you didn't I? But how horrible, you attacked that Mandragora who was just minding her own business sleeping... What a barbarian." Alice insulted.

"No, no. She was the one who attacked me." Luka countered.

"Didn't you force her out of the ground?" Alice pointed out.

"Erk..." was Luka's only answer.

"Hahaha... So you have a violent side to you... That's good. Without barbarism like that, you won't be able to fulfill your dream." Alice mocked.

"Th...That's not right! That was just a mistake before!" Luka hastily proclaimed.

"Haha... Well then, make sure you show me your true character." Alice requested.

"I'll be more careful from now on..." Luka muttered, before we started moving again.

~– ~ – ~

As the sun went down, Iliasburg finally appeared before us.

Even from a distance, its massive size was an impressive sight, though compared to my homeworld's standards it was just a decently sized town, the old-styled buildings looking newer then they would have back there...

We still had about half an hour to go before reaching the gates, when Luka looked at Alice with a troubled expression and spoke up.

"Alice... Are you able to disguise yourself as a human?" he asked her.

"Taking the form of a human is unpleasant... Why should I pretend to be human..." Alice complained.

"If you can't enter the city, how are you going to eat your Ama-Ama dango?" Luka pointed out.

"Crap... I guess that's true. Fine... How does this look?" Alice acquiesced, as her body shifted, her skin changing in color, her tail retracting before splitting into a pair of legs, her scales turning into high-heeled boots that reached her knees.

To my new sense, however, her presence had not changed, except in shape.

"Ahh... That's good." Luka said in a relieved tone, before we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we reached the town's open gates.

The inside, however, was very different from what Luka had described on the way.

"What the...? Why does the city look so strange?" Luka questioned in confusion, as he overlooked the deserted streets.

However, I wasn't paying attention to him.

I was too busy trying to keep my knees from shaking.

Because, even as I stood there, Granberia's presence at the edge of my perception made me shiver in terror.

Alice's presence was more powerful, sure, but her energy was tranquil in nature, like a pool of quiet shadow, born from the darkest of nights.

Granberia instead, was a raging force of nature, a blazing inferno threatening to burn me to cinders, restrained within the frame of what despite her deceptively humanoid frame was a beast of legendary might.

I felt hot just being that close to her, despite my body telling me the temperature had yet to even rise.

"What's going on!?" Luka yelled out, snapping me out of my thoughts, before running down what I assumed was the city's main street.

"Luka, wait!" I called out, only for him to ignore me and keep moving.

With no other choice, I started to run after him.

~– ~ – ~

We quickly reached a huge open space, a marble fountain that I recognized sitting atop a few stone steps in its center.

As soon as I got there, I saw Luka moving to hide behind a tree on the side of the road.

I did the same with the one immediately adjacent, on the other side from the swordswoman currently standing in the middle of the plaza.

Despite her humanoid silhouette, it was obvious at first glance that she was not human.

Her body was covered in green scales, obviously a strong natural armor.

Her long fingers had sharp claws at their tips, and her ears were similar in shape to small, leathery wings.

She was wearing a metallic plate on the front, covering her modesty, but seemingly mostly relied on her own scales for defense.

Her large eyes were clear and golden, and almost seemed to shine of their own light.

"How boring. Is there not a single strong person in this entire city?" The armored Dragon-kin questioned in an unimpressed tone.

"D... Damn it..." a man in what I assumed was a guardsman or soldier's uniform cursed.

"She's so.. So strong!" another stammered.

"Guh..." a last one grimaced, hands trembling as they both held his weapon.

The three that had spoken were the only ones still on their feet, the whole plaza littered with dozens more men in armor collapsed on the ground.

"You three... Are you going to fight or not?" The monster asked them.

"Guh...!" the soldiers grimaced, reflexively taking a step back, only to then grip their weapons tighter.

"D... Daniel... What should we do?" I heard Luka ask in a stammering whisper.

I could give him no answer, however, as I stared at the Dragon-kin in absolute freezing terror.

Alice was somewhere within my range, hiding her aura and no doubt quietly observing whatever was happening from the shadows.

"Only you three are left... Are you going to watch while I take control of this city? Or is one of you going to be a Hero and try to face me!? Well... Hurry up and decide!" the Dragon-kin challenged, her aura blazing even hotter.

"Grr... Damn you...! I won't let a monster like you do whatever you want!" the foremost soldier angrily yelled.

One of his comrades stepped forward with him, but the other was simply cowering in the back, unable to move.

I completely understood how he felt.

"That's the spirit. But even if you have spirit it's meaningless!" Granberia yelled, her aura flowing to her sword, making it light up with hellish flames.

"Uwa!" the soldier in the back yelped fearfully.

"Take this!" the foremost soldier yelled, stepping ahead towards his opponent, ignoring the heat, and taking a fast swing at the monster's body.

However the blow never connected.

In a blur of motion, Granberia's form vanished from my sight, reappearing a split second later behind the already unconscious falling body of the soldier, my eyes having been completely unable to keep up with her speed, despite my new sense having somehow managed to follow her movement to my surprise.

"Damn you!" the other soldier yelled as he charged the Dragon-kin's turned back.

"Slow..." Granberia criticized, before quickly turning around and swinging her massive sword, the blade still covered in flames.

The soldier seemingly fainted at the heat alone, dropping his weapon and falling to the ground.

"Aguh..." the first soldier lamented.

"Uuuu..." his fallen comrade joined him.

I could feel that they were not in any mortal danger despite their miserable state, same as all the other soldiers lying on the ground all over the plaza.

"Well then... What are you going to do?" the monster asked the last soldier standing.

"Ah... Ahhh!" The man shrieked fearfully, before dropping his sword and starting to run away.

Granberia stood still, not giving chase, a disdainful expression crossing her face for but a moment, before she closed her eyes and spoke.

"That's a wise choice. But in the future, you can't call yourself a Soldier, or a Hero." she concluded.

"Is that it!? Having your city taken over by a monster... There's no complaints!?" Granberia loudly questioned, her strong voice echoing throughout the city, her aura flaring like a blazing inferno.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, as I looked at the swordswoman fixedly from my hiding spot, my mind filled with dread, so much so that I couldn't even turn my eyes away, like a deer in the headlights.

Granberia then spoke again, her aura starting to recede.

"Well then, I've taken control of this city. Next I'll..." she started.

"Ho... Hold it!" a familiar youthful voice interrupted her.

I immediately turned towards the source...

A familiar boy with purple hair, a red cape, and a sword in his hands.

'Luka, what the hell are you doing!?' I fearfully mouthed, my breath failing to actually move my vocal chords.

Luka glanced at me, before turning his eyes to the monster in front of him and stepping forward, his expression growing resolute, before the Dragon-kin moved her own gaze to him.

"What was that boy?" the monster menacingly asked.

"A... u..." Luka stammered fearfully, as his body shook.

"Oh, you're carrying a sword? Then I'll treat you as a warrior, not a boy. You have no problem with that do you?" Granberia inquired.

"Of... Of course not! Even som... Even someone like me is a warrior!" Luka resolutely yelled back, gripping his sword tightly to stop his arms from shaking.

I could only stare at him silently, utterly dumbfounded by his sheer bravery.

"I understand... Very well then... The fire swordsman Granberia shall be your opponent!" Granberia declared.

"Guh...!" Luka staggered, affected by his opponent's oppressive aura.

"Now... Give me your best shot!" the Dragon-kin commanded.

Luka moved forward, pulling back his sword.

"Take this!" he cried out, as he swung the blade forward.

But in the same way as the soldier before him, he did not hit his target.

Granberia's silhouette blurred once again, taking the young Hero by surprise.

"Eh..?" he dumbly let out, before having his feet thrown in the air by a light kick from the monster.

"Uwa!" he yelped, as he fell on his back.

"Damn it!" he cursed, before starting to move again.

As he tried to get up however, the Dragon-kin stepped on his groin, keeping him down effortlessly, a grimace appearing on his face.

"You're too green." The monster spoke in a serious tone.

"Auu..." Luka lamented, his body stiffening.

"You challenged me when the adults ran in cowardice. I can respect that. You're young, so a mistake like that is to be expected. But there won't be a second time." Granberia calmly lectured him, before starting to walk away.

Luka's expression suddenly grew enraged, as he picked himself up.

"I... It's not over yet!" he yelled out, taking a step back and gripping his sword tightly with both hands.

"Are you going to ignore my advice? I won't overlook it again." The monster warned, looking back over her shoulder.

Luka simply lifted his blade again.

"...Prepare yourself!" he demanded, giving his own warning.

Granberia closed her eyes in acknowledgement.

"If you insist... You won't regret this, will you boy?" she obliged, turning back to face him.

"...There's no way I will!" the apprentice Hero shouted, taking a stance I recognized from his training.

He jumped forward, his sword slicing the air, moving towards his opponent's neck.

"Uooooo!" Luka shouted, putting his entire being behind his best move.

Granberia's eyes widened in realization.

"What! This technique...!" the monster startled.

Luka completed his swing...

But the Dragon-kin, effortlessly dodged, not even a strand of her hair damaged by the desperate attack.

"No way..." Luka said in disbelief, after his only hope seemed to vanish.

"...Why do you know a monster's technique?" Granberia asked the young man in front of her.

"Eh...?" was Luka's only answer, as he was still perturbed by his failure.

"Your swordplay is sloppy, and you're still immature. There's no way you thought that up by yourself. I want to know where you learned that move. Who taught it to you?" The monster questioned.

"Wh... Why should I tell someone like you!?" Luka yelled back in defiance.

"I think I already know who it is. In fact, I would like to have a match with that person... Is that person your master or something?" Granberia guessed.

"That is... I won't say." Luka declared.

"Is that so? Then..." the monster trailed off, before suddenly blurring forward and smashing the flat side of her greatsword into my friend, knocking him flying backwards and leaving him breathless, a small trickle of blood escaping his lip as he wheezed on the ground.

At that moment, something in me snapped, my previous fear burned away in a powerful blaze of fury.

What the hell was I doing just hiding there, as my friend risked his life to save me and the whole town!?

I had known from the start this was a battle he would lose.

I also knew he would survive it after Alice's last-minute intervention.

And I was keenly aware that there really was nothing I could do to even scratch Granberia.

But all of these things didn't matter.

That kid lying on the ground had treated me with incredible kindness, and confided to me about some of his deepest pains.

And in return, I had used him to keep myself alive...

Guilt and rage took precedence over everything else, my cowardice included, and before I knew it, I was moving.

I closed my eyes, allowing my newly-acquired sense to guide my steps instead.

I slipped in the same trance-like state I had before, but kept only my sense of touch and hearing still functional, favoring my aura sense instead of both taste, sight, and smell.

I walked along the optimal path my senses guided me through, outside the field-of-view of every single living being in the plaza.

Most of them were unconscious anyway, but I avoided the few that had either been faking it, or were starting to recover.

I wasn't taking chances.

"I held back my attack to make sure you didn't die. Well, are you going to talk now?" I heard Granberia say, as I kept moving in perfect silence, my mind getting hotter, but my body still cold as ice, my heartbeat slow and steady.

"U... Guh... Even with that... I won't say..." Luka groaned, coughing out a bit more blood.

Finally I reached my objective...

Granberia's back.

"Is that so? I don't like using my sword on the weak... But..." the Dragon-kin went to raise her sword, before stopping as she felt the cold steel of my dagger on her naked throat.

"...That's far enough." I declared in a calm voice despite my inner terror, finally opening my eyes even while still keeping my focus mostly on my aura sense.

"What!? Where did you come from!?" Granberia startled, glancing back at me, a tinge of fear and rage in her tone, the latter no doubt directed at herself for allowing someone to sneak up on her...

I simply ignored her question, still looking her directly in the eyes.

"Are you ok there, Luka? Can you move?" I asked my dumbfounded friend.

"Wha... Daniel...? What are you doing...?" he dazedly stammered.

"The same thing you did: something incredibly stupid. Now, can you stand?" I asked once more, not letting my gaze waver.

"No... You have to run, Daniel. You can't beat her..." my friend urged.

"True. But I don't need to beat her. I just have to move my hand a little." I replied.

"You think you're fast enough?" Granberia threatened.

"I don't know... Only one way to find out." I answered.

The tension kept rising, neither of us making a move.

Just as Granberia was about to call my bluff, and I to shit my pants, however...

"How long are you two going to keep being idiots?" a familiar voice suddenly called out.

"A... Alice!?" Luka exclaimed in surprise.

"Y...You!" Granberia stammered, looking astonished at the last member of our little group.

I removed my dagger from her neck, allowing her to get on one knee.

"Ehh...? Ehhhh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion, his gaze going back and forth between Alice and Granberia.

"Granberia... What are you doing? Who ordered you to do such a thing?" Alice questioned.

"I decided by myself. To get rid of those annoying Heroes, I..." Granberia started.

"Go away, you annoyance." Alice ordered flatly.

"B...but! If I leave now, even more Heroes will show up..." the Dragon-kin argued, gazing back at me for a second.

"I told you to go away. If you go berserk like this, just how am I going to eat the Ama-ama dango?" Alice scoffed.

"If you want something like that, just let me take control of the city first... So..." the swordswoman continued, looking back at me once again.

"How can I sightsee with such an unsightly event like that going on? Idiot. Having to say the same thing three times... Is that how you show your loyalty? I told you to go away." Alice repeated.

"...At once. If it's your will. Then, if you'll excuse me..."Granberia finally complied, getting back on her feet, as her energy shifted in a familiar pattern, forming a portal in the air.

Her golden eyes were glued to me, even as she stepped through it and disappeared from the plaza.

"Alice... You..." Luka started.

Alice averted her gaze from him, her expression uncomfortable.

"You... Were pretty awesome back there." he dumbly finished.

"...That's it!? That's all you have to say after that happened!? Are you really that stupid...? What about you, Daniel?" Alice questioned.

"That's right, Daniel! What were you thinking back there!?" Luka demanded.

Ignoring the both of them, I just collapsed to the ground on my back, breathing heavily, my calm exterior crumbling.

"Holy shit... I thought I was going to die..." I wheezed.

"Um, are you okay?" Luka asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, just... Just give me a minute." I requested, covering my face with both hands, my whole body trembling.

"Is... Is she gone? That monster... Did she run away!?" A man's voice resounded through the plaza.

"Those three over there! I don't really get it, but it looks like they drove her away!" a woman yelled, pointing at our group, before the city's residents started to rush out of their houses, quickly surrounding us.

"Err, uh.. We..." Luka stammered in embarrassment.

"Thank you! A little bit longer and this would have been a monster city!" another man said gratefully.

"Even though you're so young, that was amazing! How did you drive away such a strong-looking monster...?" a woman gushed, and I could have sworn her pupils turned into little hearts, as she looked at Luka.

"Err... It was nothing... Really..." Luka said dismissingly, blushing lightly at the praise.

"And you over there, sneaking up to her without her noticing a thing, that was pretty ballsy!" another man complimented me as I finally stood back up.

I just looked away in embarrassment, still a bit winded.

After thanking us, the city residents slowly started to return back to their daily routine.

"By the way, Citizen A over there, I want to ask you something." Alice said, as she stopped an average-looking man.

"Citizen A? Me...? How can I be called 'Citizen A' when I have such a magnificent name as Cervantes!" the man indignantly yelled.

"I don't really care. Where is the Sutherland Inn?" Alice rudely inquired.

"Ah... Just head to the west from here and you'll see it. It's such an old inn, it will stick out." Cervantes helpfully provided, before turning away and going about his business.

"Hah. Did you hear that, Luka? It still exists, like I said." Alice said in a smug tone.

"..Incredibly old inn." Luka commented in an impressed tone.

"Alright! Off to the west! We know where we're staying tonight." Alice joyfully declared.

"Whatever you say..." Luka sighed, as we started walking westward.


	7. Chapter 7: Reflecting and reassuring

As we moved towards our objective, Luka kept questioning my admittedly questionable previous decision-making process.

"Seriously, what were you doing!? If Alice hadn't intervened..." he repeated for the nth time.

"...I know already. I wasn't thinking straight..." I acknowledged in exasperation.

And I really hadn't been.

Seriously what HAD I been doing!?

I knew Luka would be fine after he performed the Demon Decapitation, my ill-advised attempt had only ended up making me a bigger target!

I had nothing to gain from being reckless in that situation, and everything to lose!

But when I saw Luka bleeding, my mind had just lit on fire...!

Wait a minute...

Fire?

I stopped for a moment, considering the effect I now knew magical energy had on my body.

Dark energy seemingly was enhancing my physical body, while Light energy had felt like my mind was somehow being filled and strengthened by it.

Did elemental energy have similar properties as well?

Wind energy enhanced one's speed and had a volatile and playful nature.

Earth energy made one stable as a mountain, able to shrug off anything.

Water energy allowed one to merge their consciousness with the flow of the world, giving them a serene state of mind.

And fire energy ignited one's fighting spirit, making them overall more powerful and fierce in battle...

If my theory was right, then my recklessness was more than just me acting on emotion.

I was actually affected by Granberia's fiery aura, and seeing Luka's blood had acted as a spark for my fighting spirit, fueled by the monster's own energy.

This...

This was dangerous!

If my decision-making process could be altered simply by proximity with powerful elemental auras, there was no telling what I could end up doing!

For all I knew, I could have lost control of myself in front of an opponent I couldn't defeat, and I doubted Alice would save me from my own stupidity a second time.

And that was without considering the things I could accidentally say if my rationality was ever compromised...

I had to confirm this, and find a solution, fast.

"Well, as long as you don't do something that reckless that again... Ah! There it is..." Luka exclaimed, pointing at a huge, obviously old building.

I immediately recognized it from the game's background art as the Sutherland Inn.

As we got closer, Luka noticed a roadsign with the Hotel's prices.

"Let's see... One day... 2, 400,000 gold a person!?" he yelled in disbelief.

"I bet with that much gold, you could build a castle made out of it..." I quipped in an impressed tone.

"24 hours in a day, at 2,400,000 gold... We can stay here about 9 seconds!" Luka declared.

I was impressed by his quick calculation.

He had spent half of his money on my supplies, leaving us with about 250 gold.

Hopefully I would be able to repay that debt soon...

"Alice, there's no way we can stay here. If all three of us go inside, we only have 3 seconds..." Luka pointed out.

"What... If I knew this was going to happen, I would have let Granberia take over..." Alice lamented.

"Oi oi." Luka let out in a real-life tsukkomi.

I couldn't help but silently facepalm in response.

My life was SO goddamn weird...

"Excuse me, can you step aside?" an unfamiliar voice called out, making me and Luka move out of the way.

Slipping past us, a soldier walked up to the Inn's entrance.

I recognized him from the plaza.

He had been one of the soldiers that had faked being knocked out.

"Hey, Owner. I'm a Hero. Give me the Hero rate to stay here." The soldier arrogantly demanded.

"What stupidity is that!? What kind of Hero gets knocked out instantly by a monster like that!" A woman dressed as a stereotypical Innkeeper harshly replied, as she chased the soldier outside, waving a broom in the air.

"But... But I've been baptized as a Hero!" The soldier protested.

"Someone like you calling himself a Hero... Get out!" The innkeeper shouted at the top of her lungs, making the soldier shriek fearfully, and run away with his metaphorical tail between his legs.

I chuckled at the comical sight, unwittingly drawing the Innkeeper's attention.

As she turned around and saw us, her expression suddenly softened.

"Oh you three! The ones who saved the city! Please, won't you stay here tonight?" She kindly offered.

"Err... We don't have enough money..." Luka admitted, looking downcast.

"I'll give you the special Hero rate, two gold per person. I'll bill the other 7,199,994 gold to the Ilias Temple." she declared.

Again, that was some quick math...

I wished I could see the local priest's face when the bill came to him...

I didn't think even 10 of his lifetimes would be enough to repay that much gold.

Though, then again, the church had to be pretty damn rich in this world if a simple Innkeeper made so much money...

"Th...Thank you. But I'm not a baptized Hero" Luka dejectedly confessed.

"That doesn't matter. The baptism doesn't make you a Hero, your actions do." The owner disclaimed without missing a beat, making Luka reel back in astonishment, and smile happily with lucid eyes.

"That said, didn't you just get your ass beat?" Alice pointed out.

"Gufu..." Luka winced miserably, making me snicker and pat him on the shoulder.

"Come in, come in!" The owner invited, motioning us inside.

"Hm, looks like you were useful for something. Come on Luka don't just stand there like an idiot. You too, Daniel." Alice declared, grabbing Luka's arm.

"Right, right... I get it... Hey! Stop dragging me!" Luka yelled, as Alice forcefully pulled him inside the building, making me laugh even louder.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, I finally was soaking in hot water.

"Haaaahh..." I sighed in relief, entering the first bath in days, finally starting to free myself from all the dirt and grime I had accumulated during the long walk.

Words cannot describe how much better I felt after that...

I really hoped this wouldn't be the last time we would pass by this place.

~– ~ – ~

When I moved back to the changing room, I found my clothes cleaned, neatly folded, and dried, sitting on a basin.

I then quickly dressed back up, and put my wallet and phone (I had hidden them from sight before handing over the laundry to be done) back in my hoodie's pockets, proceeding to zip them both back up.

Then I walked out of the bath, reentering what would be my room for the night.

Unexplicably, however, Alice was there, sitting on a luxurious sofa, eating dangos in her monster form with a satisfied expression.

I HAD felt her presence from the bath, but had been too busy enjoying the heavenly bliss of hot water to care...

"Umm, do you need something?" I inquired, curious about why she was in MY room, as she was supposed to be in Luka's instead.

"I have something I want to talk about." Alice opened in a serious tone, her expression flattening as she put her dangos away.

"Ooookay...?" I drawled in confusion, tilting my head slightly to one side.

Alice paused for a moment, before speaking again.

"...I feel like I must apologize to you. I hadn't thought much of my actions, but, in retrospect, I was excessively overbearing." she admitted in a regretful tone.

For a moment I just stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

Then I could feel my eyes protruding out of my head in a cartoonish manner, my jaw dropping, my inner surprise having taken precedence over any attempt to keep my expression neutral, as my brain caught up with her words

...Had the bloody Monster Lord just apologized to me?

Then I shook my head repeatedly, restarting my thoughts.

"...What the hell are you talking about!?" I incredulously demanded.

"Back when Luka found that Mandragora, on the way here. I hadn't realized that my behavior would upset you quite that much... It was forceful and unwarranted, as you rightly pointed out." Alice elaborated in the same apologetic tone.

Finally, I realized what she was referring to.

In retrospect, I had definitely overreacted back then, my immediately preceding thoughts having influenced my response negatively.

I had interpreted her behavior as an infringement of my rights and a possible threat, when Alice had instead acted to literally save my life...

I sighed loudly in self-reproach, before speaking out in response.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I overreacted. You didn't deserve that, when you had literally just saved my ass." I declared, acknowledging my own mistake.

Alice looked at me silently for a moment, before closing her eyes and letting out the breath she had unconsciously been holding.

"Nevertheless, I feel I must make amends. Here." she proclaimed, taking out from her hammerspace the same ancient guidebook she had shown me and Luka, holding it in her hand for me to take.

"It's fine, you don't need to..." I started.

"I was going to sell this anyways. It's mostly outdated and I already have money for the new version. Take it." Alice ordered.

I hesitated for a few more moments, guilt and survival warring in my head.

Finally self-preservation won out.

I took the book from her hands, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now, about what happened at the plaza..." Alice trailed off.

"Oh, you mean how you ordered away a monster that only answers to the Monster Lord?" I interjected in a conversational tone.

"...Yes." Alice slowly confirmed.

"Eh, don't worry, I won't tell Luka." I assured.

"What...? Why are you not angry? I lied to you. Why would you keep this a secret from your friend for me?" Alice questioned in complete befuddlement.

"Eh, it's not like I told you everything about me either. You still don't know where my home actually is. It might not even be on Sentora. Besides, it's way too much fun watching Luka's hilarious obliviousness..." I trailed off with a chuckle, another fox-like grin splitting my face.

Alice just stared at me with a neutral expression for a few seconds, before sighing loudly in resignation and starting to move from the sofa towards the door, returning to her human form as she did so.

A few minutes later, Luka's screams and Alice's laughter started resounding through the wall separating our rooms.

Not for the first time, I really wished I could somehow turn off my damned magic sense...


	8. Chapter 8: Shopping and preparing

After what was easily the most awkward night of my life, I caught up with my allies in the hotel's lobby, Luka and Alice looking respectively exhausted and refreshed.

"It sounded like you had fun last night." The owner commented with a smirk on her face.

"Aguhaaa... We... Were we that loud...?" Luka stammered, blushing furiously.

YES! I inwardly yelled, desiring nothing more than brain-bleach at that moment.

"Haha, was I right? It was just a lucky guess." The owner lied, chuckling good-naturedly.

"Ughhh..." Luka grimaced in embarrassment. Alice looked unfazed.

My own expression was neutral, save for a slight twitch in my left eye.

"Well... Be sure to come again! I'll be glad to welcome you!" the owner offered.

"I will! Thank you!" Luka promised, as we walked away from the ancient Inn, waving back at the kind older woman.

~– ~ – ~

First, we moved towards a place to sell Alice's book to.

It didn't take us long to find a fancy-looking bookstore.

The owner was ecstatic to buy the tome for a pretty damn hefty price, after I bargained for a time.

Having no idea how the money here worked, I simply decuplicated his original estimate, and worked down from there.

Then, I gave every coin to Luka, as Alice used her own money to buy the new version of her traveling guide.

"Wha... This is too much!" he exclaimed, holding the full purse.

"It's not like I won't be spending it, I just thought it would be safer with you." I explained.

"Still... At least take half, it's heavy for just me." he said, lifting the hefty bag with both hands.

"Fine..." I acquiesced, before splitting the money in a different satchel and putting it in my hoodie's pocket, together with my old wallet.

"Are those clothes typical of your village? They look pretty distinctive..." Luka inquired, looking surprised as he saw me unzip my pocket.

"I guess. They're pretty practical. No real idea how they were made though." I replied, not really lying.

I never had bothered to find out, seeing as all it would have taken back then was a quick Google search.

~– ~ – ~

We next visited the place I had been looking forward to the most: the local Weapon shop.

"Hmm, this armor looks good. A true Hero would wear armor like this... This piece looks good too... It has jagged spikes all over it and everything." Luka commented in fascination, staring at a shiny piece of armor.

Alice sighed loudly at his haphazard shopping practices.

"Idiot. If you wore that, you won't be able to even move." she insulted, before dropping her gaze to an ordinary-looking shirt on the counter.

Close to it, there were other pieces of protective gear that were seemingly made out of the same materials.

Bingo.

Now all I needed to do was find something that fit me.

"This looks good. You have enough money to buy this, right?" Alice asked Luka, pointing at the armor piece she had found.

"This...?" Luka said, looking at it.

"Ahh, you have pretty good eyes, miss. That shirt was woven in a special way, for maximum protection." The owner explained.

"Oh really?" Luka questioned.

"It's a good piece of protective wear, even if it looks plain. Recently it seems like Heroes have been only caring about looks though. Those kinds of people don't see how good this piece really is. It looks like you're different though!" the owner continued joyfully.

"I see! Alright, I'll take it!" Luka declared.

"I'll take one too! Also, these pants, belt, gloves, and greaves. Is there a helmet of similar making as well?" I hastily added.

"Oh? It seems like you have a thing for Enrikan armor as well huh? Well there's no helmet, but I do have a cape with a hood." The owner explained.

"I'll take that as well." I confirmed.

We had money to spare anyway after selling Alice's book.

And I would be damned if I didn't use it to protect my own damn life.

"Thanks for your business!" the owner happily said, before completing the transaction.

As soon as I got my hands on what I bought, I sighed in relief.

I hadn't been sure I would actually find something.

But I absolutely needed this advantage if I wanted to survive the journey.

"Even though it's a great piece of armor made by Enrika, it hasn't sold well because it looks so plain." The owner commented, as he took the money from me and Luka.

"Enrika? Is that who made this?" Luka inquired.

"Ah, not a person. Enrika is the name of a small village to the southwest. Even though they isolate themselves from the rest of the world, they make some pretty good pieces of armor." the owner explained.

"Oh? I didn't know that..." Luka said in a thoughtful voice.

I entered a changing room soon after that, finally putting on my new gear.

~– ~ – ~

All in all the ensemble looked pretty nice, I thought.

It also was really comfortable to wear.

The shirt was long-sleeved, sturdy, and had just the right length to be easily tugged to the inside of the pants.

The pants themselves were weaved with the same material as the shirt, but thicker, and were very elastic and easy to move in.

The belt looked sturdy, and the buckle a bit tricky to open, to make it harder for monsters to undo it, which, I felt, was VERY reassuring.

The gloves were elastic enough to fit my hands perfectly, and thin enough that I could still feel textures well enough through them.

The greaves came almost up to my knee, and were just wide enough to comfortably fit my legs and pants inside, offering maximum protection and complete freedom of movement to my feet.

I also noted that they made almost no sound as I walked.

I loved that feature.

Finally the cape was outfitted with a hood, as the owner had said, and was both rainproof and had been lightly enchanted to change color depending on the surrounding environment, which also made it the most expensive out of all other pieces.

Still worth every last coin, in my opinion.

Reassured by my newfound layer of protection, I stepped out of the shop together with my allies, and we visited a few more places around the city.

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, we passed by the Sutherland Inn again, the owner noticing us, as she was sweeping the outside with the same broom she had used to chase away the cowardly soldier the day before.

"Oh? Are you staying here today? I'll give you a special rate today... But I don't have any more Ama-ama dangos, because I'm out of Happiness Honey. If a Hero doesn't go to happiness village soon, I may never be able to make them again." she said, looking at Luka expectantly.

Alice stared at him as well, her eyes narrowed.

~– ~ – ~

Finished with our shopping, we started to head out of the city.

However, suddenly...

"Fufufu... I found you! My only Hero..." an unfamiliar voice said.

"Wh... Who are you!?" Luka startled.

Then she appeared.

"Uwa..." Luka let out, as a strange creature that was the opposite of Alice in that her upper half was a snake, and her lower one a girl came out before our eyes.

"My name is Amira... You stole my maiden heart." the monster said in a longing tone, looking towards Luka.

He was silent.

"You filled me with love and courage. Ah, my sweet heart... An unbreakable dream." the annoying being continued in the same tone.

"Excuse me... Can I kill you?" Luka questioned, his eye twitching, his hand slooowly reaching towards his sword.

"I know how you feel, but you need to calm down Luka. If you want a world where monsters and humans can coexist... Include that thing too." Alice lectured.

Luka's eye twitched some more, before he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Just go away and disappear." he ordered.

"Even you are discriminating against me... Everyone else does too... Everyone throws stones at me... Nobody will get close to me... Not wanted by anyone... Such sadness..." Amira lamented, her snake eyes tearing up.

"Y...You..." Luka stammered in a sympathetic tone, right before...

"Hey! Amira! I made too much miso soup for lunch! Come by later and have some!" An old woman offered the unfortunate Lamia.

"Oh, Amira. There are some rats in my warehouse. Would you mind helping me get rid of them? An old man requested.

"...Not wanted by anyone? Alice... Can you drive this thing away, like you did Granberia?" Luka pleaded.

"Don't rely on me, you idiot. Don't think I'll keep helping you like that." Alice scoffed.

"I know that!" Luka yelled back.

"Well, putting the situation aside... I came to profess more than just my love for you. I have a request..." Amira started.

"A request...? What is it?" Luka inquired.

"Recently, a band of monster thieves have been rampaging around. Having fellow monsters do such a thing... It pains my heart. Everyone else in town is troubled too. Even though my appearance has quite the impact... My attacks don't. Could you do something in my stead?" Amira requested.

"A band of thieves? Monster thieves?" Luka wondered aloud.

"Are you sure it isn't just a human scaremongering story?" Alice questioned.

"Don't insult my information gathering. There is even supposed to be a Vampire and a Dragon." Amira claimed.

"A Vampire!? And a Dragon!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"That's odd. I've never heard of monsters like that this far in the countryside." Alice commented.

"Please Hero, can you defeat the bandits?" Amira pleaded once again. After a moment of silent contemplation, Luka answered.

"Ahh I get it. I'll do something." he said in a resigned tone.

"Really? You serious?" Alice asked in surprise.

"Of course I'm serious. I can't allow monsters to be harming humans without any reason..." Luka proclaimed.

"Ahh, just as I expected from the man I love! My heart... kyuuun!" Amira gushed.

"I'll make you wear your heart as a hat..." Luka murmured, his eye twitching again, before taking a deep breath and calming down.

"Where is the bandit's hideout?" he finally inquired.

"I don't know the exact position, but it should be to the west at the base of the mountain range." Amira provided.

"Alright. Leave it to me." Luka assured.

"Ahhh, just as expected from my darling! I love you! I'll wait for the good news..." Amira declared, before crawling away.

"Are you really going to go? You can't beat a Dragon or a Vampire as you are now. Are you confusing bravery with stupidity?" Alice lambasted Luka.

"I'm not doing it to be brave..." Luka disclaimed.

"It's not related to beating the Monster Lord... Why are you doing it?" Alice questioned, glancing at me for an instant.

I simply stayed silent.

"Because! I! Am! A! Hero!" Luka enunciated emphatically.

"...A fake one." Alice deadpanned, making him wince miserably.

"Really... Why bother with unnecessary things? Just head north to Iliasport and take a ship off this continent." Alice advised.

"Detours are good though. I need to polish my skills on the way to the castle." Luka countered.

"At your current level, the Dragon will just turn you into charcoal anyway. You tell him, Daniel." She requested, looking at me.

Shit.

"Well, I mean, yeah, a Dragon WOULD be a bit much, but think about it. If a fully-grown dragon really was this close to a city I think more people would know about it. I heard nothing about it from anyone in town. Maybe there's something more to this story. I think we should gather more information first." I proposed.

Alice scoffed and looked away from me, while Luka assumed a thoughtful expression.

"You're right. There's gotta be more to this. Let's go ask around." he agreed, before we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

We spent a few hours doing that, gaining a bit more intel on our prospective opponents and their "evil" deeds around the city.

Everything seemed to be pretty much how I remembered so far, proving that canon still applied, at least for now.

As we left the city, and Alice returned to her true form, she called out to Luka.

"By the way, I noticed earlier... It really seems like you don't want to kill your enemy, so you don't really utilize your abilities." she commented.

"Yeah... That may be true..." Luka acknowledged thoughtfully.

"Oh well... I'll lend you this sword." Alice said, before pulling out a grotesque-looking blade.

I had already felt the very same weapon's presence, when she had drawn it to hit a Goddess with.

This time however I could make out the details of it as it was closer.

It was like looking at hundreds of tiny bright lights pressed together painfully, which made sense due to the blade's history as I knew it.

"Eww... What is that?" Luka asked, disgusted by the weapon's horrifying appearance.

"Angel Halo... The only sword of its kind in the world, it's very valuable. Use this sword from now on." Alice ordered.

"Uuuee... This thing? No way... That thing is creepy." Luka grimaced.

"But it has those Angels you humans love so much embedded in the handle... I thought you would be happy!" Alice protested

"Those angels look like they're being tortured..." Luka countered.

"Whatever, just take it." Alice imposed.

"Uee..." Luka retched, as he took the creepy blade from her hands.

A weird sound echoed through the air as his fingers touched it.

"Wha!? Ri... Right now I just heard a moan!? Did you not hear that?" Luka startled.

"Well, that's to be expected. The sword was refined from 666 melted Angels after all." Alice explained.

"I hate the way you said that so matter-of factly." Luka deadpanned.

Right at that moment I felt an unfamiliar presence at the edge of my range, moving from underground towards us.

"Listen up. Because the Angels' grudges are hammered into the sword, it holds their curse. It eats away at the magic of whatever it slashes, making it hard for the opponent to maintain their form." Alice lectured.

"...I don't get it." Luka admitted.

"You idiot. If you beat a monster, they won't be able to hold their form. They won't die, they'll just temporarily be made harmless." Alice elaborated.

"This sword can? Seal monsters?" Luka asked in wonder.

"Ah... Good timing. Give it a try." Alice said.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed, as the ground near us started to crack and swell, as if a tiny earthquake was occurring, the presence almost upon us now.

"Well, I'll hide now. Make sure to give the sword a try." Alice recommended, as she vanished from our sight.

I had already started to run for cover at the first sign of trouble.

"Hey! Alice! Daniel!" Luka yelled in panic, as the ground in front of him burst open.

~– ~ – ~

The battle went pretty much how I expected, with Luka making short work of the, frankly disgusting, worm-like monster.

"Alright!" Luka yelled, after executing his finishing move.

"What... Is this! Kyaaa!" the Earthworm Girl cried out, before her body seemingly dissolved into particles, as I felt her energy being absorbed by Luka's new blade.

All in all, the spectacle was pretty surreal, but I had grown somewhat numb to such things lately, for obvious reasons.

"Eh...? What happened?" Luka asked in confusion, looking the spot the monster used to occupy.

After a few moments, a small, wriggling creature lying on the ground caught his attention.

"An earthworm..." he said in wonder.

"Do you get it now? The monster from before turned into that. Totally unharmed... Just left harmless." Alice explained after reappearing beside him.

"Alice... Hmm... I get it now But... That's still kind of sad.." Luka concluded, as he bent down to observe the earthworm more closely.

"It's better than dying. She's still a monster, so even with that appearance she won't die easily. If she gets power from others, she'll be able to return to her original form." Alice elaborated.

"I see... I hope she reflects on her actions in the meantime" Luka wished.

"Rather than reflect, her hatred will probably just increase." Alice disclaimed.

Luka was silent for a few seconds after that, as the sealed monster burrowed into the earth and disappeared.

"By the way, what would happen if I used this sword on a human? Of course I don't want to do that..." he said, looking at me with a wry expression.

"Even if it's a human, it can seal them. They would probably turn into a child, or a dwarf. Since the sword is made out of Angels, it will show its true power when fighting against them too." Alice continued.

"Why would I fight an Angel..." Luka muttered, before turning his eyes to Alice.

Of course, I knew better.

That sword would be invaluable later on, exactly for the reasons Alice mentioned.

I just hoped it would be enough.

"Thank you, Alice. With this, I can fight without holding back." Luka voiced gratefully.

"As I thought, you fought a lot better than before. Not wanting to kill others was holding you back." Alice concluded.

"Yeah, it felt completely different than before." Luka said in satisfaction, raising his head to the sky.

"But you're still awful. Don't get a big head." Alice scoffed, immediately bringing him him back down to earth.

"I... Know that... Well then... Where shall we head to next?" Luka questioned.

"By the way... The owner of the Sutherland Inn mentioned something about a Happiness village." Alice explained, looking at me.

"Oh that's right... It sounded like something happened there. You weren't there to hear it though." Luka confirmed.

"Yeah, but I did hear when she mentioned it to you the day after. She seemed really hopeful too." I recalled.

"Right." Luka agreed.

"Hmm... We should stop by there, too." Alice proposed.

"Oi oi, that's completely different from how you reacted to the bandits. What happened to "Why bother doing unnecessary things?"" Luka questioned.

"According to my new guidebook... The Happiness Honey from that village is absolutely amazing." Alice said in excitement.

Luka just stared at her with a deadpan expression, as we moved on.

I idly hoped Luka would make the right choices.

I knew every sidequest was necessary in order to both get stronger and achieve the best ending in the game.

Only, I didn't know if it would be enough, even if we went through them all.

Either way, my priority right now was to survive the first adventure.

Everything else would have to follow.


	9. Chapter 9: Planning the way forward

"So, where do you think we should head Daniel?" Luka suddenly asked me.

Huh.

I hadn't seen that one coming.

"Why are you asking me? You're the Hero. I'm really just a tagalong. Shouldn't you make the decisions?" I questioned, inwardly daring to hope.

"Why should I just decide everything on my own? We're traveling together aren't we?" Luka countered.

Well, this was convenient.

I really hadn't expected my opinion to matter this much.

Remembering what the game's optimal and less risky route was, I started talking.

"...I think we should head to the Irina mountains first. Those bandits will keep causing trouble if we leave them alone after all." I proposed.

"You're right. Let's head to the Irina mountains. I can't ignore those bandits." Luka thoughtfully agreed.

"Really? So you want to die that badly? Idiot." Alice insulted.

"Nevertheless, I'll win or die trying." Luka said resolutely.

"Besides, I still think there's more to the story. It might not be all that dangerous after all." I added.

"Idiots." Alice repeated, before we started moving towards the base of the mountain range on the horizon.

I silently prayed I had made the right decision.

~– ~ – ~

It took us a few hours to reach our destination.

However, we still had no idea where the bandit's hideout was.

"Crap... How can I stop them if I don't know where they are?" Luka said, finally noticing the issue.

"This huge mountain range will take forever to search. Are you still going to do it?" Alice inquired, trying to dissuade Luka.

"Ergh... What should I do..." Luka wondered aloud, as a small presence entered my range.

"Heads up. Something's coming." I warned, as I hid behind a rock.

Alice disappeared wordlessly soon after.

I noted that my cape's enchantment had already done its job, making its color shift from a dull grey, to a dark brown hue, matching my surroundings.

I loved that thing.

"Huh?" Luka said in confusion, before the first bandit made herself known.

"Yai! Give me your money!" a childish voice resounded, coming from a small girl with a horn on her forehead, carrying a hammer that was way too big for her.

"No way... You're one of the bandits!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"Indeed! I'm the Goblin Bandit of the Four Bandits!" the little monster smugly confirmed.

"Eh...? The four bandits?" Luka asked in confusion.

"If you get it, then give me all your money!" The little girl ordered.

"Um... I'm a Hero... I came to punish the bandits..." Luka said in an uncertain tone.

"Eeeeehhhh...? Someone weak looking like you?" the Goblin Girl childishly mocked.

"Sh...shut up! You look weak too!" Luka yelled back in an embarrassing display of his own childishness, drawing Angel Halo from its scabbard.

How that thing fit inside it, I will never know.

"That sword! That looks so gross!" the little girl shrieked in disgust.

Luka silently agreed, glancing at the grotesque blade.

"Hmmmmmmmm... What should I do... the sword looks so gross, but I want to play with the wielder... Alright bring it Hero! This Goblin bandit of the earth of the four bandits shall be your opponent!" the monster finally declared.

"Adding on of the earth this time!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

The girl used his momentary distraction to her advantage.

"Eat this! Sand Hurricane!" the little monster said, picking up some sand off the ground, and flinging it on Luka's face.

"Wha... What the hell kind of attack is that!? Ugh, I have sand all over my mouth, and in my eyes... Ugg, bleh. What the hell are you doing!?" Luka lamented, spitting out sand.

"An opening!? Feel the wrath of the earth! Earth Crushing Goblin!" the girl yelled out, as she slowly raised her hammer and moved towards Luka with small, unsteady steps.

Luka stared at her slow approach with a deadpan expression.

"Taaake thiiis!" The little girl yelled, dropping the hammer on Luka, who simply sidestepped the telegraphed blow.

"Such a slow move will never hit me... Haha! Earth Crushing Goblin was defeated!" He smugly declared.

I was internally laughing my head off at the ridiculous spectacle.

They both were such kids...

"I won't lose! Ya! Yaa!" The Goblin yelled, swinging (or being swung by) her hammer around.

Luka easily moved out of the way of every wild blow.

Suddenly the little girl tripped over a rock.

"Ugyaa!" she yelped, falling to the ground.

"...Are you done?" Luka asked in an unimpressed tone.

"Ye... Yeah... Waaaah!" the little Goblin confirmed, starting to bawl.

"Where's your hideout?" Luka asked the crying girl.

"Over there..." The little Goblin said, pointing to a nearby mountain.

"There's a cave over there... B... But... there are three more!" she started to laugh as she stood back up.

"A Lamia, a Vampire, and even a Dragon! Haha, there's no way you can win!" she finally yelled, as she ran away.

"It looks like we found out where their hideout is." Alice commented, as she reappeared.

"Yeah... Where's Daniel?" Luka asked.

After I finally got my laughter under control, I got out of my hiding spot and rejoined my allies.

"Lamia... Dragon... Vampire... Three strong monsters, huh..." Luka pondered.

"I told you to give up. Do you really want to die that badly?" Alice asked.

"I don't want to die... But I can't overlook the people of Iliasburg in their time of need!" Luka declared resolutely.

"...Idiot. Risking your life for others... What an idiot." Alice just repeated, sighing in disgust.

We moved towards the hideout soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Hmmm... This cave?" Luka wondered, standing at the mouth of a large cavern.

Inside, I could already feel the monsters lying in wait.

"Is there really a dragon in there...? I don't sense one..." Alice said, sniffing the air.

I idly wondered if monsters had sinesthesia.

Alice seemed to associate smells with a being's energy.

Then again it might just have been a figure of speech or something...

"Ahh... So it's like that is it?" she concluded cryptically.

"What's wrong Alice?" Luka asked her.

"I'll wait here. Finish this up quickly, and come back." she declared.

"Oi oi, what are you saying?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Same actually. Struggle if the Lamia binds you, don't look the Vampire in the eyes, and avoid hitting the Dragon's scales, aim at the softer parts." I provided.

"You too!?" Luka yelled out in disbelief, as he gazed back and forth between me and Alice, before closing his eyes and collecting himself.

"Alright, here I go!" he declared, as he finally entered the dark cavern.

"That was some pretty good advice. Are you not worried about him?" Alice suddenly questioned.

"I did live in a village with monsters. And not really, I mean, I'm fairly sure even I could take those three in a fight, and that's saying something." I claimed.

"You could feel them from here, despite their weak power?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, it's not like they're hiding it. Doubt they could if they wanted to." I pointed out.

"Nevertheless, for a human that is quite something. Were you always this good at sensing auras?" Alice inquired.

"Apparently. I guess it's probably connected to my mother." I shrugged.

I actually still didn't know if any of my theories were correct however...

~– ~ – ~

After a while, I felt a couple of small presences moving towards the exit of the cave.

"Looks like the first one is coming out." I commented, as a little Lamia slithered out of the cave, crying her eyes out, soon followed by the same Goblin we had met before.

In an instant, Alice wrapped around them, stopping them from running.

"Wahh! Leggo!" They cried out in distress, starting to struggle.

"Be quiet." Alice ordered.

The little girls' wriggling ceased, as they whimpered miserably.

A minute or so later, a small blonde girl wearing a black cape rushed out of the cave as well, undergoing the same treatment as her friends.

Alice then started to move towards the cave, having sensed that Luka was almost done fighting.

I followed her leisurely, the little girls never even noticing me.

"Finally, it looks like the battle between the fake Hero and the tiny Dragon is over." Alice idly commented, after we reached Luka, the small shape of the Dragon Pup lying on the ground in front of him.

"Oh? That's..." Luka said, looking at the sniffling girls in Alice's coils.

He himself looked a little roughed up, with a few bitemarks in places, his purple hair ruffled.

"So there were just the four of you?" he asked the tear-eyed little monsters.

"That's right..." the Dragon Pup confirmed.

"We could only find four..." the Vampire Girl added.

"Well... What should we do, Alice? And where's Daniel?" Luka asked.

"Ahem." I loudly cleared my throat behind him, making both him and the little monsters startle.

"Gah! Where did you come from!?" they all said in a perfect chorus.

My only response was to laugh.

"You were the one who wanted to root out the bandits. Sell them, violate them, kill them, or eat them. Do whatever you want." Alice said in an uncaring tone.

"Don't eat me! Waaaaaah!" The Dragon Pup pleaded, as all four of them started to cry.

"Well, fake Hero, what are you going to do? Making four innocent girls cry like this..." Alice teased.

"Wha...? You made them cry! Back me up here, Daniel!" Luka pleaded.

"Now now, it's not nice to make kids cry." I chided him in response.

Luka glared at me in annoyance for a moment, before turning away and trying to gently soothe the crying monsters.

"First, let's go to Iliasburg so you can apologize. You caused them a lot of trouble... Do you understand?" he declared after the girls calmed down a little.

"I'll apologize... Sniff" the Dragon Pup nodded, followed by her friends.

"So, you're going to pull them around the town? So what are you going to do if the people lynch them?" Alice inquired.

"L...Lynch...?" the tiny Lamia recoiled in horror.

"Nooo! Waaah!" The Goblin cried out again.

"...It's ok, they won't do that! Anyone who tries to lynch you, I'll beat them down!" Luka declared resolutely, looking at the small girls.

"You... You're such a good guy..." the Dragon Pup said in a moved tone.

We started walking back to Iliasburg soon after that.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we all stood in the city's plaza, overlooked by the townsfolk.

"I'm really sorry for bothering you..." The Goblin Girl apologized.

"I'm so sorry..." the tiny Lamia followed.

"I'm sorry." the Vampire Girl continued.

"So sorry..." The Dragon Pup concluded.

"Geeze, the bandits were little things like this?" a man asked.

"I saw them a few times, and I thought they might be kids... I guess it was true." another man said.

"We have to punish the bad boss dragon..." another one proposed.

"Well... They were bad, but they apologized and promised to stop." Luka explained to the crowd.

A voice I recognized from the Sutherland Inn then spoke out.

"It seems like they're sorry, why not forgive them? They must have had it hard too..." the Inn's owner said.

"There were a lot of monsters in the forest twenty years ago. Once these bandits showed up, it looks like they fled." An old man pointed out.

"These bandits really didn't do much. We were just scared because there was a dragon and a vampire." The Weapon shop owner agreed.

Luka's stance relaxed at that, as he sighed in relief.

"Well, it's like that then. Now you'll put in a honest day's work." The owner of the ancient Inn declared, looking at the girls.

"Fa... Ok..." the Goblin Girl agreed.

"Thank you...sniff." the Vampire Girl said gratefully.

"Hey Dragon, can you breathe fire? If you can, I'll give you a job." The Weapon shop owner offered.

"Hey Goblin, you look pretty strong. Do you want to work at the warehouse?" A man's voice said.

Soon after, the crowd dispresed, the girls having now been accepted by the townsfolk.

"Alright! Happy ending!" Luka declared with a bright smile.

"Fumu... That was unexpected. So these humans were able to accept monsters...?" Alice commented, with an impressed look on her face.

"It wouldn't have gone this way in Ilias village... Hmm?" Luka admitted, before stopping, as the Dragon Pup pulled on his sleeve.

"You helped me so much... Let me give you this." The little Dragon said, as she put a bright red gem in Luka's hand.

I could feel some kind of energy within it.

"What is this?" Luka asked.

"Some rich people saw me at the hideout and ran away. This gem dropped out of their luggage. I think it's a really valuable treasure" The little monster explained.

"I see... But is it alright to give me something so valuable?" Luka questioned thoughtfully.

"Ah, that's it. If I find the owner, while I travel, I'll give it back to him." he declared.

"...That thing in such a place... It's too dangerous, I don't want a human to misuse it... Oh well, the blue and silver aren't here, so I guess there's no issue." Alice thought aloud.

"Eh? Alice do you know what this thing is?" Luka asked.

"Of course. Who do you think I am? But... It's probably better if I don't tell you." Alice concluded.

"Stingy... Well then... It's about time for us to head out. Be good little monster girls, ok?" Luka pleaded to the four tiny ex-bandits.

"I will!" The Goblin Girl assured.

"The four bandits are no more today..." The tiny Lamia stated.

"I won't do bad things anymore!" the Vampire Girl declared.

"I'll become an amazing monster, and help the world!" the Dragon Pup proclaimed.

"Yeah! Do your best!" Luka encouraged as we left the plaza.

~– ~ – ~

"Faah. I really seemed like a hero today huh?" Luka commented, as we moved through the town.

"Idiot. What would you have done if she turned out to be an adult dragon? Did you really want to die?" Alice lambasted.

"I didn't go to the fight to die... I only wanted to carry out my dream!" Luka declared.

I, however, knew that was not completely true...

"...Idiot." Alice deadpanned.

"Just as I expected!" A familiar annoying voice suddenly exclaimed.

"Y...You! You... Came again?" Luka startled, as Amira appeared once again in front of us.

"Of course I came again. I'm the surprise true heroine after all." Amira declared.

"When did you become the heroine!? Don't joke around like that!" Alice said in an angry tone.

"Actually... A wicked wizard turned me into this ugly sight. If I get a hero's kiss, I'll return back to my princess form..." Amira said in a sad tone.

"Re... Really...?" Luka questioned.

"It's obviously lying you idiot." Alice deadpanned.

"Che. You saw through it... There's no helping it... It looks like I'll have to use my newly acquired magic. Here I go! Heart splash!" Amira called out, as her energy left her body and she disappeared in particles like the Earthworm girl had.

"What was that...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Let's go Luka. If you spend all your time being stupid, you'll never reach the monster lord's castle." Alice declared, wisely deciding not to question it.

I completely agreed with her choice.

"Ah. Yeah I guess you're right. Now then... Next is..." Luka pondered, taking out his map, as we started moving out of town again.

It seemed like everything was going well so far.

I really hoped things would stay that way.


	10. Chapter 10: Spectating and praying

"Alright, let's go to Happiness village! There might be some big event happening there..." Luka declared, as we left the town.

"You're right, we should take a look. If there's something going on, they won't be able to make their honey. It would be a disaster if I couldn't have any more Ama-Ama dangos." Alice agreed.

Luka just stared at her in silence, amazed by her gluttony.

I snickered under my hood, as we started moving towards our next objective.

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, Luka suddenly spoke up.

"It's kinda boring to keep walking in silence, isn't it?" he commented.

"Personally I don't really mind. Helps me keep my guard up. You never know what might happen on the road." I answered.

"Oh, come on... You still haven't told me much about your village. What kind of place is it?" he insisted.

"I would like to know as well. Such a unique place, there must be some local specialties." Alice agreed.

"Is your mind really only filled with food?" Luka asked in an exasperated tone, before shutting up as Alice glared at him.

Trying to defuse the situation, I started to lie again.

"I already told you I won't reveal anything that might give away the village's location. But if you have some questions feel free to ask. Can't guarantee I'll be able to answer though." I disclaimed.

"Well, did you have many friends there? Were they monsters?" Luka asked.

"A few, yeah. Though not all of them." I replied.

"What were they like?" Luka inquired.

"Well, as I mentioned, we were sort of a rowdy bunch. I used to hang around with a group made up of a Minotaur, a Kitsune, and a human like me. We were fairly close, had a few fun times together. Also, the girls were hopelessly in love with the other guy, Alex. It was pretty entertaining to watch him be a dense idiot about it." I grinned, internally grimacing.

I didn't even know where that had come from.

I never even knew anyone called Alex.

I barely ever had any friends anyway...

"I see... Sounds like you had fun together." Luka deduced.

"Yeah, I guess." I shrugged.

Alice just stared at me with an undecipherable expression on her face, as we kept moving.

~– ~ – ~

After a few more minutes of silence, Alice spoke up.

"By the way... Do you know why it's called Happiness village?" she asked Luka.

"Because they're all happy...?" Luka tried.

"You're an idiot. The name is derived from the nearby Harpy village." she explained.

"Oh... Is that why?" Luka said curiously.

At that moment, a foreign presence entered my range.

"Being close to the Harpy village, and hearing that they're having a problem, I can take a guess as... Hmm?" Alice trailed off, looking at the direction the presence was coming from.

Then she vanished, as I had already hidden myself from sight.

Immediately after, a monster with the appearance of a half-bee half-girl with a giant honeycomb on her backside landed in front of Luka.

"Fufu... An unbaptized traveler. You look delicious. I'll spread my honey all over you, and slowly lick it off... Let my tongue taste every part of you..." The Bee Girl drawled on in a seductive tone, licking her lips as she stared at Luka, honey dripping from the nest attached to her abdomen.

"Here I come! Demon decapitation!" Luka jumped in, slashing at her neck, leaving behind a wound that seemed to only bleed darkness.

"I'll cover you in honey..." The Bee Girl said, before doing just that, tipping her nest over Luka's form as he landed, covering him in the sticky substance.

"What is this!?" Luka said, as his movements slowed because of the thick liquid covering him.

"Fufu... I'm so happy. Covered in my sweet honey, let me lick you all over. Of course I'll lick your dick too... Your delicious semen will be even better mixed with my honey." The Bee Girl spoke in an alluring tone.

Luka however resisted the temptation, slashing twice with his sword even as he blushed.

"Ora!" He yelled, as his blade cut into his opponent.

However, the Monster wasn't done just yet, as her tongue extended towards his pants, licking him quickly.

"Fufu... Delicious..." The monster smiled sweetly.

Luka however capitalized on her distraction.

"Haa!" He shouted, unleashing his strongest technique once again.

"What... Is this? My strength..." The Bee Girl stammered, her body dissolving in particles, leaving a small bee in its place, that immediately flew off.

"Alright! I won!" Luka cheered.

"Struggling so much against a weak monster, as usual." Alice scoffed as she reappeared.

"You don't have to say it like that..." Luka grimaced.

"Well, you've gotten a bit better than before. At least you aren't throwing out all of our salt." she recognized.

"I never threw out any salt, and even if I did, it would have worked! And where is Daniel?" he asked, immediately before being splashed by cold, clean water from the bucket I had filled from a nearby river.

He turned to me with a dumbfounded expression.

"What? You were all sticky. I was trying to help. Now, come on, we're burning daylight here." I simply said, as I started walking again.

He kept glaring at me for a few seconds, before sighing loudly and following me.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we reached our destination.

"So this is Happiness village...?" Luka said as we entered a peaceful-looking farming village.

Women were attending to the crops and beehives all over the fields.

"It doesn't look like anything horrible is happening..." he commented.

"Are you blind, you idiot?" Alice insulted in a deadpan tone.

"Eh...?" Luka dumbly voiced.

"Do you see any men? Can you still say it isn't unusual?" Alice elaborated.

"You're right... I only see women..." Luka confirmed.

Indeed, there was not a single male around us, except for a little boy helping to transport one of the hives.

"Oh, travelers? And a young one, at that. You came all the way here, but we don't really have anything to entertain a traveler with. Due to a shortage of manpower, we have a shortage of our specialty happiness honey too..." A woman who was working at a nearby beehive spoke up, noticing our appearance.

Suddenly, I felt a dark presence entering my aura sense in the sky above us, rapidly approaching the village.

"Why do you have a shortage of manpower...?" Luka started questioning, before being interrupted by a child's scream.

"Waaaaa!" The little boy I had noticed yelled, as the flying monster neared him.

"What's going on!?" Luka shouted, running toward the scene.

I ran behind him, staying behind cover.

Alice had already disappeared from sight.

"Uwaa! Help me!" The boy yelled fearfully, as a monster grabbed him with her talons and was about to fly off.

She looked like a woman with feathered wings and bird-like claws instead of arms and legs.

I instantly recognized her as a Harpy.

"Stop! Let go of the boy!" Luka shouted, as he pulled out his sword and ran towards the scene.

The rest of the villagers were already indoors.

Alice and I were both observing the situation, still hidden from sight.

"Huh? I haven't seen you in this village before... Are you a traveler?" The monster inquired, as she seemed to size up Luka.

Suddenly, she smiled and released the little kid, licking her lips.

"Alright... I'll let the boy go. Instead... I'll kidnap you!" she singsang.

"Run away, little boy!" Luka ordered.

"O... Ok!" the boy complied, as he ran off inside a house.

Luka then raised his sword towards the Harpy.

"Heehee.. You're much nicer than that little boy. I'll take you back to my nest, and we can make lots of children. Or we can start making them right here...? Be a good boy and make children with me..." the Harpy crooned.

"Grr... I'll get rid of all of you kidnapping monsters!" Luka shouted in rage.

"Here I come!" the monster warned, spreading her wings.

Luka rushed ahead, his sword slashing forward, but the Harpy quickly took to the sky before he could reach her.

"Hey! That's not fair!" he protested.

"How is this unfair? I'm flying with my own wings..." the Harpy questioned.

"That's true..." Luka acknowledged, looking at a loss on what to do.

"Hehehe... It's time to mate." The Harpy sang, before diving on top of Luka, pushing him to the ground and straddling his groin.

"Uguh..." Luka groaned in pain, before the monster spoke.

"A Harpy's baby making hole is amazing... Get ready for it. It's really warm and tight inside... No man can resist a Harpy's insides!" she sang, as her talons neared Luka's pants.

However...

"I got you now!" Luka yelled, as he lifted his free arm, striking the Harpy with his sword.

"Hyaaaaa!" the Harpy recoiled in pain, as she flapped her wings to rise from the ground.

"I'll.. I'll let you go with just this much today!" The monster yelled back, as she flew away at her fastest speed.

Luka sighed in relief, and sheathed his sword.

I and Alice approached him from our hiding spots.

"What happened!?" A woman yelled.

"The traveler drove the Harpy away? Amazing!" a girl praised, as the rest of the villagers came out of their houses, gathering around Luka, not a single older man in their midst.

"Driving off the Harpy... You must be really skilled!" An old woman with a stern face exclaimed, looking at Luka.

"Who are you...?" he asked.

"I'm the village chief's wife... Since he has been kidnapped, I am the acting village chief." The old woman explained.

"Barricading yourself in a house even as a child is being abducted? Can you really call yourself chief like that? Actually, not a single person in this village tried to help..." Alice rebuked.

"Oi oi, Alice!" Luka reprimanded.

The women all went silent at Alice's words, staring at the ground.

"You said too much Alice... It isn't possible for these weak women to fight monsters..." Luka pointed out.

"Not with that attitude." I shrugged, earning myself a glare from him.

"...What can weak people like us do? Now, traveler. We hate to impose, but we have a favor to ask of you..." The chief's wife started.

"Hahaha, here it comes, Hero. They're going to try to force their problems on you." Alice satirically laughed.

The old woman's face flashed in anger, but she continued talking.

"I'm sure you're aware, but there are no men in this village. As you saw earlier, the Harpies are kidnapping all of our men." she declared.

"The man I married two months ago was kidnapped..." A woman lamented.

"My husband too! Even though he came from another village, he was kidnapped a month ago..." another girl added.

"Even my fourteen year old son... Those Harpies again..." another woman sobbed.

"How horrible... What are they doing with all the kidnapped men?" Luka inquired.

"We don't know... None of them ever returned. Are they worked as slaves? Eaten for food? We have no idea." The chief's wife replied.

"...How awful..." Luka sadly voiced out.

"With no men, this village is doomed to fade away. Please traveler. Can you root out the Harpies, and return peace to our village?" The old woman pleaded.

"Why don't you do it yourselves?" Alice bluntly inquired.

"Oi... Alice..." Luka started.

"Isn't it right though? What meaning is there to bringing peace if you can't maintain it by yourselves? To rely on outsiders while hiding in your houses... How pathetic." Alice scoffed.

"So you say, Alice... But isn't it unreasonable to ask weak villagers to fight monsters? Daniel, you say something too." he requested.

"Hmm... Honestly, you both have a point. It's true that a fragile peace is hardly ideal, and that the villagers' behavior so far hasn't exactly been exemplar, but none of them are soldiers after all. Though I agree that if they stood together instead of cowering things could have been different. Not necessarily better however." I thoughtfully elaborated.

"How so?" Alice asked.

"Well, they're all still alive, aren't they?" I pointed out.

Alice simply scoffed and looked away.

"Well then... Where do they take all of the men?" Luka inquired to the chief's wife.

"It seems like there is a settlement to the east of this village, in the forest." the old woman replied.

"Are you really going to defeat them...?" A woman asked him.

"Yay! Thank you traveler!" A girl exclaimed gratefully.

"Well aren't you happy? This fake Hero is so easy to influence... Just how many travelers have you sent to defeat these Harpies?" Alice taunted.

"How many travelers...? Aren't I the first?" Luka asked in confusion.

As the old woman hesitated, another one spoke up.

"So far seven people have headed off to defeat them... None returned." she confessed.

"That many!?" Luka balked.

"See, they didn't bother to mention that part to you. Luka, you're too trusting. If you defeat them, they'll be happy. If you fail, they'll just send another traveler to their death. Do you still want to help such a horrible village?" Alice finished.

Luka was silent, as he hesitated to answer.

"We don't have a way to fight though... We're powerless." The old woman lamented.

"Even so, you've sent seven travelers to their death. Now you're trying to send yet another? For sure the Harpies are doing something bad. But you all aren't much better." Alice accused.

None of the villagers had anything to say in response, staring to the ground.

"That's enough, Alice. I'm still going to the Harpies' village." Luka declared.

"Do you really want to be praised by the people of this village that badly...? You're going to destroy yourself with that silly wish, you idiot." Alice lambasted.

"I'm not doing it just to be praised... I just want to use my Heroic Valiant Sword to protect the weak!" Luka declared, making me cringe at the cheesy line.

"You're still a fake Hero though." Alice sighed.

"I'll go too!" A woman suddenly shouted.

"My husband died early due to a sickness... My only son, Mark, was stolen by them! If he's still alive, I'm sure he's waiting for someone to help him... As a mother I have to go!" she declared.

The words hit me hard in the chest, as they made me think of my own mother.

Was she worried about me?

Did she even know where I was?

I doubted it.

"It's too dangerous, Martha!" the chief's wife started, before being interrupted.

"I'm coming too!" Another woman yelled out.

"It's as the silver-haired woman said. In spite of this situation, we all just hid in our houses. We're cowards." she concluded.

Not as much as I was, I thought.

They had the resolve I lacked.

"That's right... We have to defend our village!" another girl yelled out.

"My eyes are finally open. This is our village's problem." another said.

After a few minutes of discussion, all the villagers were in agreement.

Every woman there had decided to attack the Harpies' village together.

"But everyone..." the chief protested weakly.

"It's too late, village chief. We can't push an unrelated traveler to solve our problems." a woman declared.

"That's right. If we all band together, I'm sure we can do something..." another assured.

"Hey, wait a moment! Even if you all band together, it's still too dangerous!" Luka protested.

"With Harpies, there is always a leader. If you defeat them, the rest will fall into chaos. Like that, even weak people like them may stand a chance." Alice provided with a thoughtful expression.

"Is that true...? Then I'll defeat the leader!" Luka proclaimed.

"But..." A woman started.

"Find somewhere safe to wait. Once I beat the boss, I'll give you all a signal to attack. Daniel, you stay with them." he ordered.

"Are you sure? What if you need help?" I asked.

"I'll be fine. Just keep them safe." he assured.

"...I'll do my best." I acquiesced.

I didn't plan to actually follow his instructions, however, if it came down to it.

He was far too important for the world's survival.

Plus, I knew the villagers would be fine anyway.

O f course, I still had no idea what I could have done if he DID end up needing help...

"We understand. We're sorry... the most important part is still up to you..." the women apologized.

"You still got stuck with the hardest part..." Alice deadpanned.

"Of course! I'm the hero after all!" Luka declared.

"...A fake one." Alice still mocked, making Luka wince.

~– ~ – ~

We spent the time left before the night helping the villagers gear up for the fight.

"Luka... Why do you care about these strangers? Do you just want them to call you a Hero?" Alice inquired with an undecipherable expression.

"I just want to help them... Even if you call me a fake hero, it doesn't change what I believe in." Luka explained.

"Humans are selfish, and will trample the weak if it benefits them. Putting their desires above all else, they're happy to oppress others." Alice sighed in annoyance, before her expression turned thoughtful.

"Even if they're dirty and weak, they don't look too bad when united. Humans are really strange..." she finally trailed off.

"Nobody likes being weak. "I'm so weak, what can I do?" Humans really hate thinking like that." Luka explained.

I completely agreed.

I hated my own weakness.

And I knew that I needed to borrow the power of others to survive.

That, however, was not enough to erase my guilt.

My lying was still wrong, no matter what.

Unfortunately, I had no other choice.

"Hmm. When someone weak like you says that, it sounds believable." Alice commented.

Luka just stayed silent.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, the preparations were complete.

"Everyone is ready!" a woman yelled.

"My first fight... I'll do my best!" a girl shouted.

"Alright, let's head to the east! Everyone, don't push yourselves!" Luka declared, as we headed out to the village towards the Harpies location.

~– ~ – ~

A little while later, we stopped walking.

I could already feel multiple monsters' presences within my range.

"This is it... A little bit further, and you'll come onto the Harpies village." A girl told Luka.

"Alright. I'll defeat the leader and send the signal. Once they're all confused and panicking, I'm counting on you!" he proclaimed.

"Be careful! If it gets too dangerous, run away!" another woman pleaded.

"If I fail, please run away yourselves. Alright I'm off! Daniel, I'll leave them to you." Luka concluded.

"You can count on me." I assured, despite having every intention to sneak in and extract him if necessary.

I desperately prayed it wouldn't come to that...

"Hey Luka." Alice called out.

"Eh...?" he startled at her gentle tone.

"...Make sure you come back. Don't lose in a place like this." she pleaded.

"...I won't lose! Alright, here I go!" Luka yelled out, emboldened by Alice's words, as he charged ahead.

I tracked Luka's progress through my new sense, feeling more and more nervous as he neared the Queen's house.

Her presence was overwhelmingly stronger than anyone else in the village, making me shiver in anticipation of their fight.

Finally, they clashed, though I could tell the Queen was holding back.

And, as an explosion resounded, filling the area with a colorful light, I let out the breath I had been holding.

One more step forward.

"Charge!" A woman yelled.

"Oh Ilias, give me strength!" another prayed, as all the villagers came rushing in from their hiding places in bushes, and quickly reached Luka's position.

I followed after them.

"So you're the leader!" a woman exclaimed. "While you hold down the boss, we'll..." another started.

"I see... the villagers came to rescue the men..." the Harpy Queen muttered, as the women surrounded her.

"Queen! What's going on!?" a Harpy yelled.

"Humans are attacking!?" another monster shouted.

I could feel the Harpies' auras flaring to life as they woke from their slumber.

"Swear to me that you will return all of the men. If you don't... I'll have to cut you..." Luka pleaded to the Queen.

"...I won't." The Queen refused, looking at the ground.

As Luka raised his sword however...

"Hey! Wait! Stop that!" An old man pleaded.

"Don't cut the Queen!" another said, as more and more men, old and young, poured out of the treehouses, standing protectively near the Queen.

"Fa... Father!?" A girl yelled.

"Mark, you're safe!" Martha shouted in joy, as all the women rushed to the men.

"What the hell is going on?" Luka asked in complete befuddlement.

The men themselves were dressed normally, and all looked healthy.

"Mark! What happened to you!?" Martha inquired forcefully.

"M...Mother... Let me introduce you to my wife, Piana." the young man named Mark answered, gesturing to a Harpy standing next to him.

"And... This is our daughter, Pipi." he continued, motioning towards a small Harpy child.

"...Grandma?" the little winged girl asked in wonder, walking up to Martha and staring at her with wide eyes.

Everywhere around us, similar scenes were playing out.

"Father... What do you mean?" A young woman asked.

"Aa... Well... What I'm trying to say is... Reina is your new stepmother." the father explained.

"...Ni...Nice to meet you..." a Harpy that looks to be around the same age as the young woman introduced herself.

"Impossible... the traveler we sent here a year ago..." The village chief's wife stammered in disbelief, looking at one of the men.

"Ah... I'm not a traveler anymore... I actually have seven children now." the man explained.

Luka stared around at the various scenes in utter confusion.

I could not resist laughing at his dumbfounded expression.

"It's like that... Will you stop attacking the Harpies?" An old man pleaded.

"They are our wives and children... So please stop hurting them..." another young man agreed.

"So this Harpy... Is my granddaughter...?" the woman named Martha asked in disbelief.

"My stepmother... Is a Harpy?" the young woman said in the same tone.

"That's right. Those Harpies are our family now." An elderly man said, slowly walking forward.

"Chief!?" A woman yelled.

"You were still alive!?" his wife asked in disbelief.

"The Harpies are our family, and so are the village women. We shouldn't allow our two families to fight each other." The chief concluded.

"That's right! My mother's family is now Piana's family too. Let's stop fighting!" Mark declared

"That's right!" another man agreed. Luka was still staring silently with the same expression.

"Since we can be nothing but female, we would be unable to breed if we did not borrow human males. However, with humans coming to hate monsters, what choice did we have?" the Harpy Queen explained.

"But... You took every one of them..." Luka protested.

"We don't want to die out. You can't just take them all away..." the Queen pleaded.

"We never hurt any of the men, we made sure they were happy..." a Harpy assured.

"That's right, the men are too important to injure or force them against their will..." another added.

"And kidnapping doesn't count? Sorry, but that seems kind of a flawed argument to me... Can't really say I don't understand your reasons though." I argued.

The Harpy smiled wryly at that, acknowledging my point.

"So you mean the men were enjoying being here...?" Luka inquired.

"Of course! They made me feel young again! Every night..." The chief said, making me gag in disgust at the mental image.

"I see... Can I talk to you over there for a second?" The chief's wife said with a downright demonic smile.

"Hii! Honey I can explain, really!" the chief shrieked as his wife dragged him away by the ear.

Luka overlooked the couple with a deadpan expression, as I was now laughing my head off.

"I'm sorry... I have three more wives now..." A man said to a woman.

"And how many kids? " she inquired.

"Seven... Two more next month..." he confessed.

"I'm glad father came back but... I have two stepmothers and six stepsisters now...?" a young woman said uncomfortably, as similar disputes started popping out everywhere.

"What should we do Alice..." Luka asked for advice.

"...How would I know." Alice answered unhelpfully.

"Hrrmm... What can we do...?" Luka pondered.

"Everyone is a big family! Wouldn't that be the best!" The village chief yelled out, even as his wife was wringing his neck.

"That's right!" a man agreed.

"Let's combine the Happiness village with the Harpy village in one big family!" another proposed.

"Since my son is married now, and I have a bunch of grandchildren, I don't really mind..." Martha shrugged.

"This is a problem that they'll need to solve themselves. A fake Hero shouldn't get involved." Alice declared.

"I guess that's right..." Luka agreed, as arguments kept popping up around us, trailing on into the night.

~– ~ – ~

"Well then... We won't forcibly kidnap men from the happiness village anymore." The Harpy Queen finally declared.

"Hrm. We will send men to marry Harpies. In return, the Harpies must also help with the farming and beekeeping in our village." The chief's wife replied, sealing the agreement.

After that, everyone started to prepare a festival.

Harpies and humans alike dancing drunkenly in the village square.

Hearing the music reminded me of my phone.

Not much battery was left by that point.

This night would probably be the last...

"This is all thanks to you. On behalf of everyone in happiness village, allow me to thank you." A woman spoke gratefully, looking at Luka.

"Thank you, but this is something natural for a Hero to do." Luka replied heartily.

"If you want to show your appreciation... I love sweet things." Alice requested.

"Ok! We'll give you plenty of Happiness Honey. Right now we only have enough for one jar, though." The woman declared.

"Oh... This was unexpected." Alice replied in a disappointed tone.

"...Alice, you..." Luka trailed off, staring at her in disbelief.

After a few seconds, he sighed and turned away, looking back to the ongoing party.

"But... Can you convince the men to marry a Harpy?" he wondered aloud.

"Don't bother worrying young man. With this our villages will join together in peace, and forge a deep bond. More importantly, once you feel the pleasure a Harpy can bring, a human just won't do it for you anymore." A man said, finishing in a dreamy tone.

"Mister... Your wife is standing right behind you..." Luka warned, making a chase start between the two.

I snickered at the villagers' antics once again.

"What do you think, Alice?" Luka asked, turning to her.

"It's sweet." Alice sang happily, licking honey from her fingers.

"If the Harpies had just asked for this arrangement from the start, could this whole situation have been averted?" Luka questioned.

"The humans hated monsters, why would any of the men voluntarily leave? You idiot. To begin with, the men would have refused to be sent out to marry them. Isn't it one of Ilias' commandments not to have sexual relations with a monster?" Alice pointed out.

"Don't say that, Alice. It makes Ilias' teachings seem bad... Oh, that's not good... I can't think things that doubt Ilias..." Luka muttered, as he joined his hands in prayer, Alice sighing in annoyance at the sught.

"Well, it's true that forcibly kidnapping the men was a pretty rough solution, as Daniel pointed out. It looks like even the Queen was a little hesitant about using such a method." Alice reluctantly acknowledged.

"Is that right...?" Luka wondered.

"Of course. Otherwise the Queen would have easily defeated you. She was doubting herself, and didn't use her full power to fight you. You tell him Daniel. You felt her true power right?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I was really worried when you two started fighting. I was about to try and get to you when I noticed she was not fighting at full power." I confirmed.

"Really...? You could tell from that far? How strong is she actually?" Luka asked.

"Way stronger than the both of us, I can tell you that much. Anyway, I'm gonna go take a walk. See you guys later." I concluded, as I got up and left the party.

I felt my allies' gazes following me until I turned a corner, heading outside the village.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, I was alone in the forest, quietly listening to my music, until the battery finally died leaving me only with silence.

I silently mourned the loss of yet another piece of my life...

~– ~ – ~

The next morning, everyone gathered at the edge of the village, as our group was now ready to get back to the road.

"We are indebted to you, traveler." the chief's wife said.

"Please come to our village again, we'll be glad to have you!" A woman warmly offered.

"Even though we had our reasons, we were still wrong. Because of you, we were able to correct it. I wish you a safe journey." The Queen Harpy said gratefully.

"Thank you all!" Luka smiled.

"Thank you! Come play with us again!" a young boy requested.

"Please be safe!" a young woman pleaded.

"Heehee... Come and play again! We'll be glad to be your partners then..." a Harpy sang seductively, before we started to move.

As we walked away from the village, the Queen Harpy came up to us again.

"Can I ask you one last question? The silver-haired woman, are you by any chance..." she started.

"I'm a traveling gourmet." Alice flatly declared.

"Oh... Is that right... I don't need to inquire any further then, do I?" The Queen Harpy concluded knowingly.

Luka just looked at her in confusion.

Thus, we moved on towards our next objective.

Normally, I would have been planning my every step ahead for the sake of surviving.

Only, this time, I couldn't predict the consequences of my presence and actions.

Because I knew that if there was anyone in this world capable of unveiling my secrets at a glance, that was the woman we would undoubtedly meet when we reached the hidden village of Enrika.


	11. Chapter 11: Cowering and promising

"Shall we check out that village the shopkeeper mentioned?" Luka proposed, as we left Happiness village.

"Hmm... This village isn't mentioned, even in my new guidebook. Maybe there's a new specialty food to be discovered..." Alice said in an interested tone, no doubt excited to continue her eating journey.

"Anyway, let's see what's there. That okay with you, Daniel?" Luka questioned, looking for my approval.

"Sure, why not? I'll admit I'm a bit curious about where all of my armor was made." I lied.

"Yeah, why did you buy so much of it anyway? I thought you wanted to keep out of fights. I get you had money to spare, but I don't know... Seems a bit wasteful to me." Luka inquired.

"My life is more important than money. Actually, I don't know why YOU didn't buy anything other than your shirt." I countered.

"Well, I was worried we wouldn't have enough money for the journey after seeing you spend all of yours..." he explained.

"I didn't spend all of it... Whatever. I'm fine with us going to Enrika. Let's move." I declared.

During the whole conversation, Alice was silent, staring at me.

That was starting to worry me.

Did she suspect something already?

I needed to be more careful.

I couldn't afford to lose her or Luka.

At the very least, not yet.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked towards the hidden village, a new presence entered my range.

"Hmm...? That's an unusual monster..." Alice commented, confusing Luka.

"Eh...?" he said as he turned around, only to witness Alice vanishing and me hiding in a bush.

Then a monster appeared.

If not for the pointed ears, and her dark aura, I could have mistaken her for a normal human with brown skin, carrying a sword on her waist.

"Go back to whence you came. This is a place man must not approach." The Dark Elf warned, as she unsheathed her sword, pointing it at Luka.

"Why aren't humans allowed?" Luka questioned.

"Because they are human. If you do not retreat, I shall be forced to act." The Elf simply replied.

"Even still, I need to get through!" Luka declared, pointing his sword at his opponent.

"If you won't retreat, then I shall force you into deprivation. I will contaminate you with my darkness, and make you into my thing!" The Elf yelled out.

Luka started the fight with his best technique, taking the Elf by surprise and dealing a large cut to her neck.

"How is my dark chest...?" The Elf countered by kneeling and pressing her breasts on Luka's crotch.

Luka awkwardly slashed down towards hsi opppnent, barely grazing her, before she quickly got up and put her lips on his.

"Fall into darkness..." the monster ordered, as Luka's eyes glazed over, his internal energy thrown in disarray.

"Aaa..." Luka moaned, as the Dark Elf started to pull his pants down.

"Stay there soaked in ecstasy. I'll make you fall into degradation." the Elf gloated, sure of her victory.

"Will you fall with this...?" she said, as she crushed Luka's member between her breasts.

Luka moaned softly.

"Have a taste..." she continued, as she started sucking, pumping her mouth up and down his lenght.

"Uguh..." Luka grimaced in pleasure.

"It's about time to finish this... I'll make you fall into a world of pleasure..." the Elf said seductively, making me worry this could be it.

However, Luka's eyes suddenly became focused once again, as his energy returned to normal.

He backed off, pulling his pants up and raising his sword once more.

"I got you now! Demon decapitation!" Luka called out, jumping back in and cutting at the Elf's neck again.

"What is this? My body..." the Dark Elf questioned in disbelief, as her body dissolved in particles, leaving a doll-sized version of herself behind.

"Sealing me... I'll remember this!" she cursed, as she ran away on her tiny, little legs.

"A Dark Elf in such a place... Why on earth..." Alice pondered.

"Who knows? I didn't know that Elves were this close to Ilias village... Where's Daniel?" Luka asked, noticing my absence.

As I was about to step out however, another dark presence entered my range, Alice vanishing again a second later, as another Dark Elf came out of the woods.

"I won't let you go any farther than this... I'll summon a tentacle for you, and make you its prey..." the new monster said.

This one looked more inhuman than the first, her skin a sickly shade of purple.

She wore a black dress that was see-though on some of the important parts.

As she spoke, she lifted her skirt, purple tentacles exploding out of it.

"Gah..." Luka grimaced, stepping back in horror.

A beat later, he shook it off, rushing forward and slashing at the monster's neck.

"Take this..." The Elf said, as a tentacle shot out towards Luka's groin.

Luka moaned softly once, before quickly cutting it off.

"Can you endure this...? the Elf taunted, as more tentacles shot to caress him.

Luka rushed in, cutting her neck again, however, the monster was ready for it.

"I'll wrap around you..." she gloated, as her tentacles wrapped around Luka, immobilizing him.

"Fufu... You can't move now. Let me suck up everything like this... Don't be afraid. It will feel good as everything is sucked away..." she seductively crooned, as she took off Luka's pants.

"Guh..." Luka groaned, as he struggled fiercely.

"Fufu... It's no use. You can't move... Just sit there and enjoy the pleasure." the Elf ordered, as a tentacle started playing with Luka's member.

"Damn you...!" Luka struggled even more fiercely, managing to pull himself free, dropping to the ground.

"You don't want to meet your end in bliss...?" the Elf asked in disappointment.

Luka tried to finish her off, but his movements were awkward with his member erect between his legs.

He fumbled, missing the monster completely.

"Fufufu..." the Elf chuckled, attacking him with her tentacles once again.

"Ohh..." Luka moaned.

"Does it feel good? If you surrender to my tentacle, it will be even better..." the Elf tempted.

However, Luka finally managed to collect himself and stabbed her through the chest.

"What is this? What did you do!?" the monster yelled fearfully, before undergoing the same fate as her predecessor.

"This is... A seal!? How can a human use magic this powerful!?" she questioned in disbelief, as she ran away.

"Another Dark Elf... They don't usually hang out in groups like that..." Alice commented.

"Besides, I thought there weren't too many Dark Elves to start with?" Luka added.

"That's right. Originally Elves were a pure and innocent race. However, very rarely one would become corrupted. They called this phenomenon Degeneration. They would turn into a depraved existence. Alienated from other Elves, they would act like normal monsters. In addition, if a Dark Elf continues to grow in power, it's possible that they could turn into a different type of monster... In any case, we shouldn't be loitering around here." Alice lectured.

"Hmm... That was pretty detailed, Alice." Luka commented.

"Of course. Just who do you think I am?" Alice proudly scoffed.

"I have no idea." Luka said, making me snicker inwardly at his obliviousness.

"But... Where is Enrika? It should be nearby..." Luka trailed off, as we started moving again.

~– ~ – ~

We walked for a while after that, before finally I felt something at the edge of my new sense's range.

As we moved through a gap in the trees, we came across a small, peaceful-looking village.

"There it is! Enrika!" Luka finally declared, walking forward.

As Alice shifted to her human form, I followed behind him.

Even before entering the village proper, I could feel the presence of the numerous hidden monsters and fallen Angels around the houses.

And then I felt her.

She felt similar to Ilias in a way, however she was... Sharper, like a polished holy blade that shined of its own light.

Her aura was also expertly confined within her frame, not a bit of power escaping her, differently from Alice, that bled darkness wherever she went.

I considered once more, that I was about to meet a being older than I could imagine.

I shuddered at the thought of what she could manage to glean from me without even trying.

Maybe this had been a bad idea after all...

"This is Enrika...?" Luka thought aloud, as we entered the confines of the settlement.

"...So it's like that... Those Dark Elves from before make sense now too..." Alice said, with a look of realization.

Then she turned to me, looking for confirmation in my expression.

I nodded wordlessly, my hand touching my lips with a meaningful glance.

"What do you mean? Hmm...?" Luka questioned, as the hidden Angel I knew to be his aunt approached us.

She did look remarkably beautiful, her long blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, her sharp, steel blue eyes looking like they could see through anything.

She was wearing a green outfit woven with the same materials as me and Luka's recently bought protective gear.

"You... Don't appear to be merchants..." the blonde woman commented, looking at our group.

Then she gazed at me for a moment, our eyes meeting.

I looked away uncomfortably, and I felt her expression grow sharper for but a moment.

"Th... That's right... I heard from a shopkeeper about this village." Luka explained.

"...Please go away. Other than merchants who trade things we need, we don't allow anyone else in the village." the hidden Angel requested.

"No way..." Luka trailed off.

"You may take offense at our prohibition... But this is how we lived for a very long time. If you are a sensible traveler, please leave us alone." she pleaded.

"...I understand, sorry for troubling you." Luka acquiesced in a disappointed tone after a couple seconds of silence.

As he bowed to the blonde woman, and turned to leave, however...

"That ring! Could you be... Luka!?" the hidden Angel suddenly exclaimed, having noticed the accessory on Luka's finger.

"Eh...? That's right..." Luka confirmed in surprise.

The blonde woman's expression softened, as her eyes gazed at him.

"You really are Luka, aren't you... You've grown so big..." she softly spoke.

"Um... Do you know me?" Luka inquired in confusion.

"...Yes. My name is Micaela. I know your father and mother well... But now, please turn back. When the time comes... We'll be able to talk." Micaela pleaded in a resolute voice.

"...I understand. Alright... I'll come again." Luka agreed, knowing there was no use arguing.

"Yes... I wish you luck in your battles, Luka." Micaela said gently, before turning to me.

"You. Would you mind staying behind for a moment?" she requested, surprising me enough for my mouth to automatically agree.

"Uhh... Sure?" I said with some hesitation, inwardly panicking.

What had she seen!? What had I given away!? I thought fearfully, as I followed her inside a house, away from my comrades' eyes and ears.

Ilias's scrying window fortunately did not follow us, still hovering above Luka's presence.

The moment the door closed behind her, Micaela put a sword to my throat, making me gulp in terror.

"How did you know!? Are you Ilias' spy!?" she demanded.

"No, I swear, I have nothing to do with her!" I fearfully declared.

"Don't lie to me! What are you!? Why can I not feel your aura!?" she kept pressing, her sword inching closer to my jugular.

"I'm not lying, please, I swear I'm not an enemy, just don't hurt me!" I pleaded, shivering, as tears started to come out of my eyes.

Micaela just kept staring at me with a steel-like expression, her blade unmoving.

"Answer me. Why can I not feel you? And what are your intentions towards Luka?" she questioned in a slightly less menacing tone.

"I have no magic of my own. That's why you can't feel me. And I swear I am Luka's ally, I need him to survive." I blurted before I could think.

"Impossible! Everything that lives has their own magic! How can you possibly be alive without it!?" Micaela demanded incredulously.

"I can't tell you how that's possible. However I can tell you how I knew your true species. The same way I could tell this was a monster and fallen Angel settlement. I felt their auras as soon as I entered the village." I revealed, after using her moment of surprise to gather myself.

"How is that possible? How can a human sense auras so strongly? And how did you know about me, when MY aura was concealed by the most powerful sealing spell I know of?" Micaela inquired.

"I really don't know. All that I know is that I have these abilities, but I don't know the true reason why. I swear, I am not lying." I sincerely spoke.

"You're not. But you haven't told me everything, have you?" Micaela deduced.

"I can't tell you any more then this. I'm sorry, please just drop it. It concerns Luka's future, and even just telling you this much could put him in danger." I truthfully declared, despite my panic.

Micaela's eyes widened, as her expression turned fierce for a moment, making me almost piss my pants in fear.

However, after a few seconds of silence, she finally closed her eyes, and put away her sword.

I dropped limply to the floor, breathing hard and trembling.

"I can't believe I'm actually buying this..." Micaela sighed.

"Th... Thank you..." I whispered in relief.

"Swear to me." she suddenly demanded.

"What...?" I dumbly let out.

"Swear to me that you will keep Luka safe." Micaela ordered, her tone calm, but I could feel the steel in it.

"I promise I will do my best." I fearfully complied.

She gazed at me for a few moments, looking me directly in the eyes, her expression a mask of stone.

Then she seemingly relaxed a little, as she closed her eyes.

"Forgive me. I had to be sure you weren't one of her agents. This village is hidden for a reason." she apologized.

"It's fine! I understand." I hastily replied.

"Do Luka and the Monster Lord know about you?" Micaela inquired.

"...No. They know about my abilities. But I haven't told them anything about me. Nothing true anyway." I confessed.

"You know they will find out eventually." she reminded.

"...Yeah. I know." I hesitatingly confirmed.

Alice already suspected something, that much I knew.

And Luka, oblivious as he was, would eventually notice something was off as well.

"I see... You have chosen a difficult path then." Micaela acknowledged.

"I wouldn't call it choosing..." I disclaimed.

"I see..." was all she said in response.

~– ~ – ~

Minutes later, I was back with my allies, having told them Micaela was simply curious about my clothes.

Enrikan products were all high-quality, but my clothes apparently held an interest to her, I had lied.

A flimsy excuse, I knew, but I was too shaken by my encounter with Luka's aunt to come up with something better.

"...What a strange village." Luka pondered aloud, as we moved through the forest.

"What does it mean... This village..." Alice muttered.

"What's wrong, Alice? Once we entered the village, it looked like you realized something." Luka pointed out.

"I understood something, but there's still a few things I don't get. I was sure that Enrika was an isolated Elf village..." Alice commented, glancing at me for a moment.

"Oi oi... Are you saying everyone in that village was an Elf?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"That's what I thought... But that Micaela woman... Whatever, I didn't get to have a feast at the village like I thought I would. What a pointless trip." Alice concluded in a disappointed tone.

Luka just sighed in response, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

We left the forest soon after that.

I knew the time to leave the Ilias continent was almost upon us.

There was only one last adventure to be had before that.

And after my experience with Micaela, the thought of who we would meet during it was far from reassuring...


	12. Chapter 12: Wearing down and worrying

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go to Iliasport!" Luka declared, after some time spent in contemplation.

"Hmm... If it's a port town, there should be a lot of foreign delicacies gathered from all over. Hmmhmm... I'm getting excited. Let's go!" Alice happily agreed.

"Right, right... Daniel, what about you? Excited to get back to your continent?" Luka asked in a cheerful tone.

"I'm fine. Let's keep moving." I simply said.

"What's with that tone? Are you feeling alright?" Luka asked in concern.

"I'm just tired is all." I lied.

"If you say so..." Luka said in an unconvinced tone, but didn't press the issue.

For once, I had no idea what he was thinking.

As for myself, I had a lot to ponder about after the meeting with Micaela.

I hoped it hadn't changed the future too much, but I couldn't predict what consequences it might have had.

Also, the whole situation was really starting to wear on me.

I hadn't been able to relax and listen to my music again after my phone had ran out of power.

Without a way to recharge it, and the worrisome encounter with another being of age similar to Luka's aunt on the horizon, my heart felt heavy as lead.

And the numerous battles Luka had faced until this point had only served to increase my stress...

Nevertheless, I knew all I could do was keep going forward, so that's what I did.

~– ~ – ~

After some more time spent walking, I felt a presence enter my range.

I quickly moved to hide, as Alice disappeared from sight, making Luka draw his sword in preparation.

The monster appeared soon after.

She looked like a woman with the lower body of a leech, a giant, tentacled, toothless mouth open under her waist.

"...A traveler? Unbaptized too... You look delicious. I'll suck everything out of you... Your whole body wrapped in my mouth, I'll leech everything out of you.." the monster drawled seductively in a familiar line and tone, her lower mouth gaping in anticipation.

"Gah! I won't be swayed by such a temptation!" Luka declared, rushing forward.

His blade cut the Leech Girl's throat in a familiar technique.

However the monster simply lowered Luka's pants and started sucking on his member furiously.

Luka tried to get some distance, slashing forward with his blade as he stepped back, but the Leech Girl jumped forward, grabbing his legs with her tail, and shoved his body in her lower mouth.

"I'll hold you in this mouth and suck everything up... Don't be afraid... It will feel so good, it's as if you'll be melting in my mouth... Here, I'll move all the tentacles in my mouth... I'll caress your entire body..." the monster said in an alluring tone.

"Grr... Let go!" Luka angrily ordered, as he struggled, trying to get free from the tentacles covering him.

However he couldn't manage to escape.

"Do you want to be sucked dry while struggling? Do the wriggling tentacles feel good...? Quietly being sucked by me... It's easier that way... I'll play with you like this..." The monster softly spoke, trying to entice him, as her tentacles moved, making Luka moan.

Right before I was about to snap and intervene, thankfully, Luka finally broke the hold himself.

"Damn you...!" he yelled, as he managed to get free.

"Ah... You ran before I could suck everything out..." the Leech Girl said in disappointment.

Luka jumped in, and slashed at her neck again.

Unfortunately, It wasn't over just yet.

"Haha..." the Leech Girl chuckled, as her tail grabbed Luka's member, squeezing it strongly.

"Uguh..." Luka grimaced in pleasure.

"It feels good, doesn't it? At this rate, I'll suck everything from you in no time..." the leech girl said, licking her lips.

Luka shook her tail off, attempting to end the fight with a stab.

He stumbled on her tail, his penis falling right into her mouth.

"Give me everything..." the monster demanded, using the chance to tempt Luka once again.

However Luka refused, finishing her with a last slash to the chest.

"N... No way..." the Leech Girl stammered in disbelief, as her form shrank in a tiny leech, that quickly started to crawl away.

"Finally finished?" Alice asked in a bored tone as she reappeared.

"Yeah... Don't you think I've gotten pretty good?" Luka commented, fishing for compliments.

"What were you looking at, you idiot. What was with those pathetic attacks?" Alice lambasted.

"Eh...? I thought they were pretty good." Luka weakly protested.

"Except for the part where you literally fell dick-first into her mouth." I drily quipped.

He just blushed in embarrassment, sputtering incoherently.

Normally I'd have snickered at his reaction.

But I just wasn't feeling it this time.

"Geez..." Alice simply sighed.

"By the way, Alice. When I'm fighting, where do you go?" Luka suddenly inquired, changing the argument.

"Hmm? I walk around, have some tea, maybe catch a bug or two. Lots of things." she replied in an uncaring tone.

Luka was silent after that, and we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

That night, as we set up camp, Luka told us the story of Heinrich the hero.

It was pretty interesting, even if it was the edited version, and probably full of half-truths or outright lies.

Kind of like how I was, now that I thought about it...

"And that's how Heinrich defeated the Monster Lord, and brought world peace... And everyone lived happily ever after." Luka concluded.

"...What do you mean 'everyone lived happily ever after', you idiot. I'm a monster. Did you really think I'd enjoy a story about a human killing a Monster Lord? Do you want me to tell you a story about a monster killing a human King?" Alice said in distaste, still eating her dinner.

I wasn't much hungry, but I silently ate as well.

"Ah... Yeah, that's right..." Luka said in realization.

"If you want to build a peaceful world where everyone can coexist, you'll need to have some delicacy about that." Alice lectured.

"Sorry..." Luka wryly apologized.

"Well.. Heinrich defeating that old Monster Lord is indeed worthy of some praise. She only cared about destruction and chaos. Perhaps being defeated by a Hero was brought about by herself." Alice acknowledged.

I knew she was wrong, however, in her assumption of the old Monster Lord's demise.

Black Alice, the eight monster lord Heinrich had defeated, was still around after all, though very few were aware of that fact.

I idly wished I could have been part of the majority for once...

"Brought down by her own mistakes... That's a cutting remark." Luka observed.

"Trying to rule by power is a savage act. You should expect some savagery back." Alice simply declared.

"You're right. I wonder how the current Monster Lord is... Do you know anything Daniel?" Luka inquired.

"Nope." I lied, without even turning to face him.

Alice looked at me for a moment, her expression undecipherable once again.

Whatever, I thought.

I was too tired to care...

"If they've declared full-scale war with humans... I guess they're a villain after all? I wonder if the slaughter of Remina was by her instruction as well... She must be a horrible person after all, don't you think Alice?" Luka questioned.

I held back a sigh of annoyance.

Here we go again, I inwardly lamented.

"...Who knows." Alice simply said, looking at the sky with a neutral expression.

But I could tell how hurt she was by the words.

"Maybe... The Monster Lord has just lost her way... Whether humans should be destroyed..." Alice started.

"Alice, do you know the Monster Lord!? Don't tell me... You've seen her!?" Luka inquired excitedly.

"Yes... I know the Monster Lord. She may even be closer to you than you think..." Alice said neutrally.

"To me? But I grew up in the countryside. I've only seen my first monster only recently too." Luka said in confusion.

"Man, you're really dumb, you idiot. Well, changing the topic..." Alice insulted, before standing up.

"It's time for more training. Seeing your pathetic fight made me disappointed. If you try to fight the Monster Lord like that, it would just be a miserable sight." Alice flatly declared.

"You don't have to say it like that..." Luka weakly protested.

"Now, pick up your sword! I'll show you how you should fight! You too Daniel." Alice concluded, addressing me.

Thus we started training again.

~– ~ – ~

I had noticed my body changing during the course of the last few days.

My endurance was now seemingly endless as long as I was around Alice, and even when we separated, I could tell I was much stronger than before.

Appearance-wise, I had lost a lot of my previous pudge, a hint of muscle starting to be visible under the skin.

I didn't look like any kind of athlete, but it was still a major improvement for just a few days.

I also noted that my beard had grown, but at a slower rate than ever before.

I had no idea what that meant for me.

I only hoped it wasn't anything too dreadful...

Well, I would have considered myself lucky as long as I just kept my life.

"That's right... Stabilize your upper body. Step forward with your foot, and quickly thrust into the enemy as I showed you." Alice explained, instructing Luka on a new technique.

Of course, once again, I already knew its name before she mentioned it.

"Like this...? Luka asked, before attempting to do as he was told.

His form blurred forward for a moment with surprising speed, as he thrust the tip of his blade in front of him.

"Hmm.. It doesn't look too bad. You need to try that in actual combat now, and not just training." Alice commented in slight satisfaction.

"Thank you... This is an amazing technique!" Luka spoke gratefully.

"It's said that Bloody Fernandez mastered this technique, and covered the battlefields with his bloody thrusts. Using this Bloody Fissure Thunder Thrust technique, he killed his enemies one after another, making a lake of blood." Alice recounted.

"That's a very shady sounding, bloody technique..." Luka commented, his face looking a little green.

"Well then, let's end the practice for today. Let's head off to sleep to get ready for tomorrow." Alice concluded, before we started preparing for the night.

As I was trying to fall asleep, I noticed Luka's presence being affected by the same bright energy again, as the window above us disappeared.

I just sighed, and went back to my attempts to shut down my own brain.

~– ~ – ~

The morning after, Luka gave me and Alice another rude awakening.

"Ilias!?" he loudly yelled, interrupting my dreamless sleep.

"As usual, you're so noisy in the morning." Alice complained.

"Ahh... Ilias... Thank you for giving me a revelation!" Luka prayed, as I left my tent, sighing deeply in annoyance.

"Praying right as you get up... You're like some old man." Alice mocked.

"Even young people give their gratitude to Ilias. Do you want to pray with me, Alice? Daniel?" Luka offered.

"Ha! That's a laugh. I'm a monster! Why the hell would I pray to your god!?" Alice scathingly remarked.

"I told you, I'd rather not bother. She doesn't need me to pray to her anyway." I replied in a tired voice.

Luka did not say anything else, though I did notice one thing.

For a moment after I said that, it felt like I was being watched.

I could still feel the window in the sky, directly above me.

Trying to ignore everything, I started walking alongside my allies, moving towards Iliasport.

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, we passed through another forest.

"This is a muggy forest..." Luka commented, looking at the woods around us.

A moment later, a monster appeared at the edge of my perception.

"In these kinds of places, a lot of tropical monsters are likely to appear. Watch where you're going." Alice warned, before me and her both disappeared from sight.

"Tropical monsters...?" Luka questioned, as the vegetation in front of him split apart, a monster coming out of it.

She looked like a giant rafflesia flower with two female torsos with no arms growing at its center.

"Perfect... It's time for me to be pollinated... Hey.. Will you mate with me? Spread your seed all over my pistil..." The Rafflesia Girl requested, looking at Luka seductively.

I immediately pulled up my facemask, covering my nose and mouth in preparation.

"I can't do that..." Luka weakly denied.

"It won't be difficult... Just leave everything to me. I'll make you feel so good, all you need to do is ejaculate. I'll fulfill all your desires... Aren't you lucky?" the two-headed monster insisted, every phrase spoken by a different head.

"I won't! I can't break Ilias' commandments like that!" Luka declared as he pulled out his sword.

"Then I'll just need to force you!" the Rafflesia Girl shouted.

Luka opened the battle with his new technique, blurring forward in a quick thrust, inflicting a heavy wound to one of the monster's two upper bodies.

"How's this...?" the monster asked, as her petals hugged Luka's lower body, stroking it with some force.

Luka ignored the stimulation, slashing at her vines, as the monster just kept massaging him.

"It's time to pollinate... First, I'll make is so you can't resist..." the monster said, as a sickeningly sweet smell started visibly wafting from her form.

Luka inavertedly inhaled some of it, his eyes glazing over, as his energy was thrown in disarray.

"Now... I'll start... I'll make you feel really good, so pollinate me..." the Rafflesia Girl said enticingly, as her tentacles grabbed Luka's body, dragging him inside the flower.

"Faa..." Luka moaned in his entranced state.

"First, let me cover you with pollen... Ejaculate in my pistil like this... Binding your semen with my pollen, you can pollinate me... Come on... Shoot your semen out..." the monster spoke in an alluring tone, as her insides shifted around Luka's lower half, before one of her tentacles coiled around Luka's member.

"Uuu..." Luka moaned.

"Fufu... Just let it out. Scatter it all out, and pollinate me..." The monster demanded, as Luka's eyes suddenly became focused again.

"Grr...!" Luka growled, as he broke free from the plant monster's hold.

"Why did you run... But I wanted to be pollinated..." the Rafflesia Girl lamented, before Luka finished her off with a last slash.

"No... My body..." the monster stammered, as her form dissipated into a normal rafflesia.

"Fuu... That was pretty good!" Luka commented about his performance.

"Having so much trouble against such a worthless opponent?" Alice insultingly questioned, before looking at the sealed Rafflesia Girl with a strange expression.

"...Are you going to eat her?" Luka asked in a worried tone.

"What are you saying!? How could I eat a fellow monster!? I just wanted to have a taste of the petal..." Alice disclaimed.

"Oi oi... Are you serious?" Luka questioned in disbelief.

"It's a plant, so it would grow back... Besides, it was just a passing thought." Alice protested.

Luka just shook his head in resignation, and we moved forward.

~– ~ – ~

After a little while, another dark presence appeared within my range

"Once we're out of these woods, we should reach Iliasport." Luka spoke, before another monster appeared before him, Alice and I already hidden from sight.

She looked like a strange insect-like body with many wriggling appendages coming out of it, a human head on top of it all.

"A roper huh..." Luka said in recognition, seeing the tentacled being in front of him.

"It's been a long time since I last had a delicious treat..." The Roper commented, licking her lips.

"Gah! Like I would let you eat me!" Luka shouted, as he took a fighting stance.

He struck first with a Thunder Thrust, landing a sharp stab on his opponent.

"I'll play with you..." the Roper said, her tentacles shooting toward Luka's groin.

Luka slashed at them, injuring a few.

"Hahaha..." the Roper laughed as, suddenly, all of her tentacles closed around Luka, lifting him towards her.

"I caught you... I'll weaken you just like this..." she sang, holding him close, as he started struggling.

"Don't struggle... Take this... I'll weaken you like this, then eat you..." the roper said as her tentacles tightened around Luka.

"Guh..." Luka groaned in pain.

"I'll weaken you more... I'll slowly melt you..." The monster gloated.

"Damn you...!" Luka yelled, finally managing to break her hold.

"You ran..." the Roper commented in surprise, before Luka rushed her with his sword again.

With a last attack, Luka managed to fell his opponent.

"What.. Is this...?" The Roper stammered, before turning in a tiny, tentacled... Thing.

She then wriggled angrily at him and ran away.

"Phew... That was a dangerous opponent." Luka sighed in relief.

"If you took too long to finish her off, she would have taken her time eating you." Alice agreed.

"Hey, Alice. Even if a monster was going to eat me, would you just sit and watch?" Luka inquired.

"It would be unfortunate, but I'd sit still and watch. Due to my own reasons, I won't give special support to a human." Alice confirmed.

"Unfortunate...?" Luka asked curiously.

"It would be better being eaten by me than a monster like that... Don't you think?" Alice said in a seductive tone, licking her lips.

"Hii...!" Luka shrieked, blushing furiously.

"Don't worry too much. If the worst comes to pass, I'll try to bail you out. Though I don't really think I'd be able to do too much..." I sighed, before leaning in closer to him.

"Also, Alice was just teasing you. She cares, even if she doesn't admit it." I whispered in his ear.

Alice herself probably had heard, but she just ignored me.

"Daniel..." Luka called out in a moved tone, before taking a deep breath.

"Alright, let's go Alice! Once we're out of here, we should be at a vibrant port!" Luka declared in a happier tone.

"Filled with seafood specialties... Hehe, I'll look forward to it." Alice agreed in a satisfied tone.

We started moving again soon after.

I smiled painfully as we walked, watching my allies from behind, my face obscured by my hood.

I knew I would always be an intruder in this group, no matter what I did.

But I still wanted them to suffer as little as possible.

It was the only way I could atone for my lies.


	13. Chapter 13: Lamenting and preparing

Finally, we reached our destination.

I could smell the sea breeze even before entering the city.

The place was almost completely devoid of people.

Only a few locals were around, and none of them looked very happy.

"For a port town, It isn't very lively." Alice remarked, looking at lifeless the town around us.

"You're right... I wonder if something happened. Excuse me... Is there something happening in this port? It seems strangely deserted..." Luka inquired to a nearby shopkeeper.

"Of course it's deserted. Since last year, nobody has made a round trip to the Sentora continent." The shopkeeper explained.

Instantly, I realized my mistake.

Shit! I forgot! Alma Elma's storm hadn't been recent!

Why had I claimed to be from Sentora, of all places!?

I inwardly panicked, already trying to come up with a decent excuse.

"Eh!? How come nobody has made a round trip to Sentora?" Luka questioned in confusion, while Alice narrowed her eyes at me.

I looked away uncomfortably.

"There's a horrible storm. Every time a ship leaves the coast, it's hit by a huge storm." The shopkeeper lamented.

"A storm...? You don't mean that it always starts storming as soon as they leave, do you?" Luka asked incredulously.

"Yes, every time. No matter how clear it looks, as soon as a ship sets out it starts storming." The shopkeeper confirmed.

"...That can't be natural." Luka said thoughtfully.

"As the rumors go, it's the work of monsters. They're harassing us or something, I don't really know." the shopkeeper shrugged dejectedly.

"Hmm... I see." Alice trailed off, nodding her head with a thoughtful expression.

"...Do you know something, Alice?" Luka asked her.

"Mmm... A little." Alice unhelpfully replied.

"What does this mean? Can you explain it?" Luka insisted.

"I can't speak much about it... A strong Youma is blocking the ships from crossing. Their goal is to block pilgrims from making it to the Ilias temple." Alice elaborated.

"A strong Youma...? In other words we have to beat them." Luka concluded.

"...You wouldn't even be a match." Alice flatly declared, before turning to me.

"By the way, Daniel. How exactly DID you get to this continent? Didn't you say you came from Sentora?" she questioned.

Welp. Time to try and circumvent my own mess, I thought, as I started speaking.

"I can't really say HOW I got here, it's a village secret. However, it wasn't by boat. Also, before you ask, no Luka, that method is not available to us at the moment." I lied in an uncomfortable tone that was all but fake.

"I see..." Luka trailed off, looking crestfallen.

Alice just stared at me silently for a few seconds, before sighing.

"But at this rate, I won't be able to enjoy any of the foreign delicacies..." she lamented in a dejected voice.

I knew she hadn't truly bought my bullshit, however.

I would have to be more careful with her in the future.

"Well, what should we do...?" Luka wondered aloud, looking pensive.

After a few seconds of silence, suddenly...

"There's a way, my Hero!" a familiar annoying voice resounded.

Then, a monster we had already met appeared in front of us again.

"I am Amira, an unfortunate Lamia. A snake swaying in the breeze." the girl-snake drawled poetically.

"Oioi... I thought you lived in Iliasburg." Luka pointed out.

"I am Amira, a snake that travels. In short, a snavel. I follow my darling, and sometimes go ahead of him to welcome him." she explained.

"I see... Well then." Luka concluded, turning his back to her and starting to walk away, before Amira stopped him.

"Wait, darling! I'm not just an annoying character. For my darling, I collected information from the "sort of" illegal information shop." she proclaimed.

"Very well, we'll listen only to that." Alice declared.

"Quiet you!" Amira hissed.

"What...!? You...!" Alice growled, glaring at the unfortunate Lamia.

Wow, annoying she may have been, but Amira was ballsy as hell facing the Monster Lord like that, I thought.

I sort of respected her just a little...

"Um... That information... Can I hear it?" Luka pleaded, trying to defuse the situation.

"For my darling, I'll tell him anything. My three sizes, from above, are 275, 78, 93." Amira listed.

"I don't want to hear about that at all. Do you have a way to get to the Sentora continent?" Luka inquired, dismissing Amira's attempt to get in his pants.

"From what I've gathered... If you go out of the town and head east a ways, you will come across a cave. In there lies the treasure of the legendary captain Selene." Amira started.

"The captain Selene...?" Luka asked in wonder.

"In that treasure trove seems to be the legendary Poseidon's bell. Carrying that bell, no matter how the sea rages, the ship won't sink." Amira elaborated.

"I see... If that's true..." Luka pondered aloud.

"But the cave is a monster's den... Many adventurers have attempted to claim Selene's treasure... Most that went looking never returned... Kyaa! Amira is scared!" Amira concluded with a fearful shriek.

"Guh..." Luka grimaced, suppressing his murderous instinct.

"Amira's happy embarrassing information session ends here. Was I able to help you?" the unfortunate Lamia asked in a businesslike manner.

"You made me slightly angry, but it was helpful." Luka admitted.

"Then, I shall leave with the breeze." Amira said poetically, before quickly crawling away.

"A pirate's treasure... Even if it's rotten, there may be a delicious dish there." Alice thoughtfully commented.

"The food doesn't matter. Anyway, let's head to the cave." Luka concluded, before we started moving.

I was already dreading what, or rather WHO, we would find there.

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, we stopped to make camp once more.

"It's a lot further than I thought. If I knew it would take this long, I would have spent the night in Iliasport." Luka commented that evening as we sat under the stars.

"What a haphazard idiot. Pick up the sword, we're training again." Alice ordered.

"I'll do my best!" Luka said enthusiastically.

I wordlessly started doing my regular training.

~– ~ – ~

"Haa... Haa... Haa..." Luka wheezed, collapsed on the ground, at the limit of his endurance.

"You have so many wasteful movements. It kills your speed and power." Alice remarked.

"Even if you say that, I'm swinging with all of my power." Luka protested.

"Your movements need to be like the wind, your body one with the earth, and have fire in your sword." Alice recited.

"...?" Luka looked at her curiously.

"That's the secret of fighting. If you can't get better, beating the Monster Lord will remain a dream." Alice declared.

"Sorry but... I have no idea what you're talking about." Luka confessed.

"Sheesh. First you need to focus your mind. You try too Daniel. Cross your legs and try meditating." she ordered.

Dropping my own exercises, I complied.

I had a couple of things I wanted to try as well, mostly wanting to experiment with my new sense.

"Hmm... I'm not very good at those kinds of things." Luka muttered as he joined me on the ground.

"Don't grumble. Learn from Daniel. It is said that the fallen angel Erigora was able to immediately heal all his wounds by meditating. It's obviously a fake story, but concentrating your mind is still important." Alice recounted. Luka started to quietly meditate.

Suddenly, a rush of bright energy erupted from within him, healing his wounds and recovering his stamina, the excess energy then proceeding to bleed out of him.

As that energy passed through me, my own mind felt... nourished.

That was interesting...

"It's true! My wounds healed!" Luka exclaimed.

"What!? Is that even possible!? What the hell is wrong with your body?" Alice questioned in disbelief.

"...Is it strange? Didn't you just say some fallen angel or something was able to heal his wounds?" Luka uncomfortably questioned.

"Why do you think that would make it normal for you to be healed!? Having your wounds healed just by meditating is strange no matter how you look at it!" Alice yelled back.

"But..." Luka started before quietly meditating again.

As his energy flared up, and passed through me once more, I felt the same sensation as before.

"See, I can do it again." he simply said.

"What is that... Scary..." Alice said in a fearful tone, as she poked Luka's face with her index finger.

"Hey! Stop poking me!" Luka yelled, swatting her hand away.

"You're a strange one." Alice concluded, returning to a neutral expression.

After that, I focused on my own meditation.

I had tried a few times to replicate what I had done during the fight with Granberia in the past few days.

I remembered how it felt when I seemed to deactivate my own senses, and focusing instead on my newly acquired magic perception.

After that time, however, I had not managed to repeat the same feat.

That night, however, I easily did.

...What?

I shut off my hearing without even covering my ears, the world suddenly becoming silent, as my new sense grew in range, and became more distinct, minor details now appearing evident within my mind.

I could feel the sleeping form of a squirrel, hidden in a tree several meters away.

I could count the number of rings within the tree's trunk.

I saw, more clearly with this sense than with my own sight, Luka getting up, and walking towards his own tent.

What did this mean?

What had changed from before?

Did this have to do with Luka's Light energy passing through me?

What kind of effect did that have on me?

In the end, I had found no answer to these questions that night, as I got up as well, and moved to my sleeping bag.

~– ~ – ~

The next morning, we finally reached our objective, as we stepped inside the dark cave containing the legendary pirate's treasure.

"Hrm... It smells like a fox." Alice commented, sniffing the air in disgust.

I inwardly sighed in resignation.

So she was truly here huh?

I really wasn't looking forward to that encounter...

"What does a fox smell like...?" Luka questioned.

"Thin fried tofu." Alice provided.

Luka just looked at her with a strange face, before we started walking again.

~– ~ – ~

"The walls and floors are pretty sturdy." Luka commented, as we passed yet another stone corridor.

"If pirates did hide all of their treasure here, there is sure to be a lot of traps." Alice warned.

"We'll have to be careful... It's odd... If so many came in here without coming out, where are all of the corpses? Somehow it seems like ghosts are going to come out at any second..." Luka trailed off in a worried voice.

"G...Ghost!?" Alice stammered fearfully.

Right.

This was a thing.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Luka asked in concern.

"N... Nothing..." Alice declared with some hesitation. As we started moving again, she unconsciously started slithering near Luka.

"Why... Are you so close to me?" Luka asked in embarrassment.

"Yo... You're the one who's too close to me. Besides... Why would you think I'd be afraid of something like this! You know? I mean ghosts are so unscientific and everything. Just an ignorant product of foolish humans." Alice nonsensically blabbered, as a small presence entered my range.

I hid behind a corner, covering myself with my enchanted cape.

"Wha! What was that!?" Luka yelled, startled by a small shadow moving in the corner of his eye.

"Hiii!" Alice shrieked, as she jumped and coiled her tail around Luka.

"Uwa! Don't wrap around me!" he yelled, staggering under her weight.

"It seems like something is here after all..." he continued, as he awkwardly pulled out his sword.

"...This isn't a ghost." Alice declared, suddenly calming down.

"Ghost...?" Luka repeated.

"Don't say that word! Finish this off quickly!" Alice ordered, as she unwrapped her lower body from Luka, and disappeared.

After a moment of confusion, Luka collected himself.

"Oi! Show yourself!" He called out.

"Wawa! A human appeared!" a little girl with silver hair, fox ears above her head and two tails on her backside exclaimed, appearing before him.

"W... What should I do... I got separated from Tamamo, and now a human shows up..." the little Kitsune lamented.

"I don't really get it, but if you're attacking humans I won't forgive it!" Luka proclaimed.

"She told me not to let a human take Poseidon's bell! I won't let you by me!" The little fox declared.

"...Who told you not to?" Luka inquired.

"...That's a secret!" the little fox replied after a moment of hesitation.

"That name you said... Tamamo was it?" Luka questioned.

"Auu..." the little fox let out, Luka having hit the bullseye.

I mentally sighed again, resigning myself once more to the future confrontation.

"I need to get by... If you won't let me pass, then I won't go easy on you!" Luka proclaimed.

"Then... It's time for a match!" the little fox concluded with a childish voice.

Luka started the battle with a Thunder thrust, as the little girl's tail shot towards his pants.

Luka kept slashing, even as the tail caressed him.

After taking a couple more blows, the little monster backed up.

"Damn you! Clone jutsu!" the little fox exclaimed, as copies of her started appearing around Luka.

"What the...?" Luka startled, looking around at his multiplied opponent.

I could tell through my aura sense which was the real one, but visually the copies were impressively similar.

At least until the little Kitsune spoke with a smug expression on her face her illusions didn't show.

"Fufufu... Amazing right!? Now do you see I'm the real deal!?" she said.

Poor choice of words, I idly thought.

"Hya!" Luka yelled, attacking the real little fox.

"Gyafun! Pr... Pretty good..." the little monster yelped, as her copies dissipated.

Luka just stared at her silently, his expression deadpan.

"Muu! If it's come to this, I'll show you my true power!" the little fox said, as her two tails started dancing around Luka's crotch.

Luka countered with a demon decapitation, leaving the little girl with a sliver of power left.

"Let out your white stuff!" The little Kitsune desperately yelled, as she grabbed Luka's member with both hands.

"Guh..." Luka grimaced at the unexpected stimulation.

"I'm amazing! You're going to come soon!" the little girl smugly said, closing her eyes in satisfaction.

Luka used the opportunity to finish her with a last slash.

"Hyaaa!" the Kitsune shrieked as she turned into a cute little fox.

"You can't do anything bad anymore like that." Luka said, as he sheathed his sword, and leaned closer trying to pet the little fox.

The sealed monster hissed, and bit hard on his hand, before running away.

"Are you finished...? But foxes are still infesting this place... That type of monster shouldn't live in this cave..." Alice thought aloud as she reappeared.

"...Then where did that fox come from?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"Sheesh, those things are really annoying." Alice sighed in annoyance, ignoring him.

"Maybe they DON'T live here. It didn't look like she knew much about the place if she got separated from her comrades." I pointed out.

"I don't really get it... But let's hurry on." Luka concluded, as we moved deeper into the cave.

~– ~ – ~

After a while, Luka spoke up again.

"...What's that?" he asked in confusion, staring at a giant boulder in the corner of the passage.

Other similarly cliche traps were lying inert around us.

"It looks like someone triggered the traps already..." Alice commented.

Suddenly, I felt a dark presence moving closer to us.

Alice and I wordlessly hid.

"I wonder if it was that Kitsune's companion... Let's hurry, Alice, Daniel." Luka said, as the presence showed itself.

"Catch..." the Meda said in a lifeless tone, as she crawled closer on her tentacles.

She appeared to be some sort of insect-type monster, rapidly skittering on the floor using her tentacles.

"Something like this is here too..." Luka commented, before drawing his sword and starting the fight with a Thunder Thrust.

The Meda silently shot her tentacles towards Luka, rubbing his whole body.

Luka just kept slashing, ignoring the monster's attack.

Suddenly, he stumbled as a tentacle lifted his leg.

He took a step back, and quietly meditated for a moment, releasing his inner Light energy onto his surroundings.

He then finished the battle with a couple more slashes, followed by a Demon Decapitation, the monster having been unable to inconvenience him much.

"Ah..." the Meda lifelessly said, as her body dissolved, turning into something that looked a bit like a sea louse.

"My, my... You sure are brutish. You say you want to create a world where monsters and humans can coexist... Yet you attack and seal monsters one after another." Alice said in a mocking tone.

"I'm only fighting monsters that are attacking travelers, and can't get along with humans." Luka countered.

"What a selfish way of thinking... Anyway let's keep going. We don't have time to kill." Alice reminded.

"Yeah, we have to hurry!" Luka agreed, moving forward.

~– ~ – ~

After a couple minutes, he spoke up again.

"Why does a monster want the Poseidon's bell anyway?" he questioned.

"If you use your head a little, you would figure it out, you idiot. They're obviously trying to get the bell so that a human can't use it. Going to all the trouble to cause that huge storm would be pointless if a human could just get this bell and sail past it. So they have to get it first." Alice deadpanned.

"...The timing is too strange though." Luka pointed out.

"Oh, it looks like you aren't completely hollow up there. Most humans wouldn't ever try to venture to the very bottom of this cave. Thinking that nobody would try, they probably just left it where it was." Alice elaborated.

"But the citizens said that people were trying to go to the cave before... That means... They must have heard about me!" Luka concluded.

"You're a real idiot. Do you think anyone cares about a fake Hero?" Alice insultingly questioned.

"That..." Luka trailed off, wincing at her words.

"You'll need to be careful about them though... I don't know if it's Tamamo or Alma Elma, but it's sure to be trouble." Alice warned, as we drew closer to the little sealed Kitsune's presence.

"Eh...? Do you know that Tamamo girl?" Luka asked Alice, as the small fox's struggling form appeared before us, bound by a web-like substance.

Above us I could feel a monster's aura.

I wordlessly hid behind a corner again.

"...What is that? Is that a monster's trap...? Why would it catch a fellow monster?" Luka questioned in confusion, looking at the captured Kitsune.

"Not all monsters consider each other allies. Like you humans, they fight each other sometimes. Especially the insect type monsters, they'll make almost anything their feed. That Kitsune was stupid." Alice scoffed, as she disappeared from sight.

Then a monster looking like a spider with the upper half of a blue-skinned girl on its head dropped in front of Luka.

"Stop!" he yelled at the Spider Girl in front of him, as she approached the struggling little fox.

"Arara... Another stupid catch appears. Fufu... A delicious-looking boy too. I'll wring your semen out..." The monster maliciously declared.

"Kuh! Let the Kitsune go!" Luka ordered, pulling out his sword.

"Sure... If I can get a human boy, I don't need such a tiny monster. Instead I'll eat you. I'll wind you up and suck everything out..." the Spider-girl easily agreed.

Luka opened the fight with a Thunder Thrust again, inflicting good damage.

"Do you want my string here too?" the spider girl said, spinning her web around Luka's crotch.

Luka slashed at the monster's threads, as she drew closer.

"I'll wrap your whole body up..." the monster said, as she threw her sticky web around Luka's whole body.

"Does my sticky silk feel good...? I'll keep wrapping you like this until you're a cocoon... After that, I'll suck out your semen... Or would you rather be eaten in person...?" the spider smugly offered.

"Gah..." Luka grimaced, as he slashed forward, cutting the monster even as she worked on his bindings.

"I'll shoot more of my webbing on you... Turn into a cocoon... I'll keep rolling you up with my silk... At this rate you'll become a cocoon in no time. Do you want to be wound up in my spider silk...?" the monster gloated, as Luka's arms slowed down.

However, he kept attacking.

"I'll shoot more on you... Hahaha... Have you given up yet?" the Spider Girl drawled, sure of her victory.

But thankfully Luka used the opportunity to stab her in the face.

"How could I..." the monster said in disbelief, as she turned into a tiny spider.

As soon as the monster was sealed the webs inside the room also vanished, freeing both Luka and the little fox.

"I'm glad you're ok..." Luka said in relief, kneeling near the little sealed monster, holding his hand out again.

However, she bit him once more, and rushed ahead.

"...You finished? You really like doing pointless things, huh?" Alice commented.

"Pointless? I guess so..." Luka admitted.

"You're a bigger idiot than I thought. If that spider girl doesn't eat, she'll die. You should have just let "survival of the fittest" take its course. Thinking an act like that is evil is thinking all of nature is evil. Do you get it?" Alice lectured.

"...I know that. But..." Luka weakly protested.

"If you save all of the predators' prey, the predator will all starve to death... Is that a better outcome? If that's so, does that mean herbivores are good and carnivores are evil!? If someone declared that, would he be a good guy or a bad guy?" Alice pressed.

Luka and I were both silent.

"...Well even if you understand it, it's pointless." Alice sighed.

"Eh...?" Luka said in confusion.

"Even understanding the inherent contradiction, it seems to be human nature to help something when it happens right in front of you. Denouncing the act in self-righteousness while still committing it themselves... Hypocrisy." Alice concluded.

"I don't really understand difficult things but if I come across the same situation, I'm going to help the weaker one." Luka declared resolutely.

Despite Alice's conflicting opinion, I admired his resolve to save lives.

But my own feelings were a bit more complicated than his simple-minded selflessness.

Nature was, in many ways, a flawed system, built on the mechanics of death, lost lives fueling those coming after them in an imperfect cycle.

It couldn't be defined as evil or good, because those were simply mental constructs sentient beings came up with.

And the instincts engraved into every single life made sure the system kept going.

However, sapients were above instinct.

Not because they didn't have any, but because they could understand that the best way for life to flourish...

Was for the system to be broken.

And the capacity sentient beings had to comprehend the concept of immortality ensured that, eventually, it would be achieved.

As long as a single sapient life was still around, one day, even nature would be overruled.

Therefore, saving sentient lives was always the right thing to do, whenever possible.

Of course, I would never be able to do it at my own peril like Luka did.

I was far too selfish to risk myself.

I was aware of my own worthlessness.

But I couldn't change it.

Because I didn't want to.

Overall, I just wasn't good enough...

"Good luck carrying out your belief then. At least try not to let your mask come off and reveal your true character." Alice mocked.

"I believe in myself!" Luka said wholeheartedly.

I envied his confidence.

I knew I could never say something like that...

"Let's keep going!" he concluded, as we stepped forward.

~– ~ – ~

We suddenly arrived into a small room with a lone chest sitting in the middle.

I could feel a dark aura coming from it.

"A chest... What do you think, Alice, Daniel? Should I open it...?" Luka asked us for advice.

"How would I know? Do whatever you want. Just... If anything happens, I'll leave you without hesitation." Alice reminded.

"I know that already..." Luka said, before starting to walk towards the chest.

As he approached the disguised monster, I and Alice wordlessly hid.

I had been tempted to skip this, but I knew Luka needed all the experience he could get.

Any fight we avoided was a lost opportunity.

I would just have to make sure we lived through all of them...

As soon as Luka got too close, the Mimic sprung to life, revealing her true form inside of the normal looking chest.

She looked like a fairly normal woman wearing a black shirt, but I could tell the clothes were actually still a part of her body.

"Uwa! ...Huh?" Luka startled, before looking at the monster in confusion the Mimic's lid closed up again.

He stood still for a few more moments, as the Mimic stayed motionless too.

Then, he slowly started to step around her, before she spoke up.

"...Once you show me your back, I'm going to eat you." she threatened.

"That wouldn't be good... Alright, here I go!" Luka said, pulling out his sword.

The Mimic still was closed, unmoving.

But I knew this was actually its most dangerous fighting stance.

"Don't attack when the box is closed! Mimics can use their lids to rapidly pull you in using your own momentum! Attack only if she shows herself!" I yelled out from my hiding spot, conscious of the risk Luka was running.

"Hey! No fair! Where did you even come from!?" the Mimic protested, opening her lid to shout at me.

Luka used the opportunity to quickly slash at her neck, taking her by surprise.

As he slashed again however, the Mimic made her move.

"I'll swallow you..." she said, as the viscous mucus in the box shot out and wrapped around Luka, starting to pull him into the monster's body.

"At this rate, I'm going to pull you in... I'll eat you nice and slowly..." the Mimic gloated.

"Ahhh!" Luka yelled fearfully, trying to free himself.

"Hahaha... I won't let go! Fufu... Scared? Or are you excited? I'll play with you plenty... Get ready! Ahhh, it's useless even if you struggle. Hahaha. You're almost here... Come on, I'll play with you..." the monster tempted, as Luka's struggling body was being drawn closer and closer.

"Le... Let go!" Luka shouted, as he finally managed to cut himself loose.

I sighed in relief, seeing he was still ok.

That had been way too close.

"Why did you run..." the Mimic said in a disappointed voice, as Luka slashed her again.

The Mimic closed her lid, and Luka took a moment to quietly meditate, his energy flaring up, before taking a defensive stance.

"...Not going to attack?" the monster sighed, as she showed herself once more.

Luka slashed furiously at her, finishing her off with a Demon Decapitation before she could close back up or retaliate.

"How mean!" the Mimic complained, before turning into a small toy box.

"Whew... That surprised me." Luka sighed in relief.

"So you beat the Mimic? I thought you had a 0% chance of winning... Well at least before Daniel intervened." Alice comented, glancing at me for a moment.

"Thank you, Daniel. I don't even want to think how it would have ended without your advice." Luka said gratefully.

"It was nothing. You did all the work." I replied, feeling guilty at the undeserved praise.

"Haha... I guess that means I'm getting closer to being a true Hero!" Luka beamed, before his expression became disgruntled, looking at Alice.

"Oioi... If you thought it was that hopeless you could have helped." he complained.

"I'm traveling with you, but I'm not your ally. Besides any normal person would be suspicious of a chest in the middle of the room like that. It seemed like any idiot who would open that would be fated to lose... Without Daniel's help anyway." Alice concluded.

"...Daniel, did you know that was a monster to begin with?" Luka questioned in realization.

I was silent for a moment, before replying.

"...I did. But the purpose of this journey is for you to become stronger. If I just let you skip a fight you could win, I would be hurting you in the long run. For what it's worth, I am truly sorry." I apologized, bowing my head.

I meant every word.

But I couldn't help still feeling shitty about it.

"Whoa, stop that, you were just trying to help! That's nothing to apologize for!" Luka startled, waving his arms around.

I could only stay silent.

I knew, deep inside, that I didn't deserve his forgiveness.

"Whatever, let's just keep going. We don't have time to waste." Luka said, dropping the topic, as we moved on.

I could only hope that the fights until now would be enough for him to overcome the trial I knew he was about to face.


	14. Chapter 14: Stopping cold and refusing

Even before we stepped into the room, I could feel Nanabi's overwhelming energy.

She felt like a small mountain standing in front of me, strong and stable.

But even then, she paled in comparison to Tamamo.

She felt like an entire mountain range, spanning thousands of kilometers, concentrated in a small body.

And this in what I knew to be her sealed state.

I could also see the pattern of the seal itself.

It was like a small breach in reality, with something flowing through it, and into Tamamo's body.

It reminded me of a funnel, limiting the amount of water coming through it.

"Hmm...? That's... Are you the ally of that Kitsune!?" Luka questioned, looking at the large, seven tailed, centaur-like Kitsune's body guarding the door in front of him.

Alice and I had already hid ourselves.

"Yes... I am Nanabi." the Kitsune spoke, introducing herself.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

He expected the monster's name to be Tamamo, after all.

"Past this door is the treasury... So I can't let you pass. If you choose not to return..." Nanabi started.

"I'll advance, even if by force!" Luka resolutely interrupted.

"Understood... I'll show you the power of Tamamo's aide!" Nanabi declared in response her power surging.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, shrinking back from his adversary's overwhelming presence, as he unsheathed his sword.

He opened the fight with a Thunder Thrust, grazing the monster's side.

"Does my fluffy tail feel good?" Nanabi asked seductively, as one of her tails massaged Luka's groin.

He slashed at the appendage, recoiling from the opponent's strength.

"Kuh... How powerful..." he grimaced, as Nanabi rushed him.

"I'll hold it in my mouth..." Nanabi said, as she lowered his pants, greedily taking Luka's member in her lips.

Luka slashed at her, getting some distance.

"Now... Should I get a little serious?" Nanabi drawled, as her aura flared up even stronger, a leaf now placed on her forehead.

Luka meditated, restoring his energy.

Then he tried to slash Nanabi to interrupt her concentration, but she easily shrugged off his attempt.

"Now... Prepare yourself!" Nanabi warned as her power reached the peak.

Luka assumed a defensive stance instinctively.

"Go mad with pleasure!" Nanabi yelled, as all of her tails shot towards Luka at the same time, coiling around his manhood.

He barely managed to resist her powerful attack.

"You managed to endure it... Pretty sturdy for a human... Fufu." Nanabi complimented, as Luka panted hard.

He slashed at the now motionless tails, Nanabi grimacing slightly as the attack connected.

"With no moonlight down here, it takes some time to regenerate my magic power..." Nanabi said, as she lay on the ground, pausing her attacks for a moment.

Luka used the chance to meditate again, before continuosly slashing at her.

"Now... Shall we start again!?" Nanabi yelled as she got back up, her power restored.

Luka tried to back off, but she followed.

"I'll put it here..." Nanabi said, as she crushed Luka's penis between her exposed breasts.

Luka slashed at her, as two tails shot out at him.

"Uguh..." he grimaced.

"Now, give up. If you do, I'll give you pleasure that will send you to heaven." Nanabi promised.

Luka cut her again, as she took his penis into her mouth.

Luka took some distance and meditated again.

"Shall I make you my prisoner with my tail...?" Nanabi said, as her tails coiled around Luka's body.

"Shall I play with you slowly? Until you let it all out... Fufu." Nanabi seductively voiced out, licking her lips.

"Grr... Let go!" Luka demanded, as he struggled against the hold.

"You haven't given in yet... I wonder how long that will last. Shall I tighten it...?" she questioned, as a tail coiled around Luka again, squeezing him harder.

"Le... Let go!" Luka yelled, as he managed to break free.

"You struggled harder than I thought... You only have to lay back and be comfortable..." Nanabi lulled.

Luka slashed her again, before she started gathering her magic once more.

Luka slashed her a few more times and meditated, preparing for the onslaught.

He barely resisted the attack again, but as he backed up, Nanabi acted.

"I won't give you any time to heal!" she declared, her eyes flaring with magic.

I had already looked away.

Luka hadn't.

"Guh... Sh... it... Guh..." Luka said, as his eyes closed, and he staggered, falling asleep on his feet.

I sighed in relief at the sight.

I knew at that moment, he had already won, after all.

"I'll use my tail to force you to come..." Nanabi gloated, sure of her own victory.

As her tail shot towards the sleeping Hero, however, he deftly dodged, swaying like a leaf in the wind, moving in rhythm with his inner surging Light energy.

"What the...!?" Nanabi questioned with a perplexed tone.

"Alice... You shouldn't eat weeds... *snore* Mmmnn..." Luka mumbled in his sleep.

I almost laughed loudly at the ridiculous scene.

"Was that on accident...!?" Nanabi asked no one in particular, her tail shooting forward again.

But, same as before, Luka was untouchable.

"Are you mocking me!? No... He's definitely asleep..." Nanabi said in confusion.

"Zzzzzzzzz. Here... Go..." Luka said, before his sword slashed forward in a deadly dance, in rhythm with his exploding energy.

"Kuh... Impossible! It's as if he's an entirely different person!" Nanabi yelled, as she recoiled from the onslaught she just suffered.

"In that case... How about this!?" she said, as two tails shot forwards instead of just one.

But Luka dodged them both effortlessly.

"What the hell...!?" the Kitsune shrieked.

"*Snore* So full..." Luka mumbled, as power accumulated within him, before releasing it in a bright blast from his blade's tip.

Nanabi barely manged to get out the way, as the blow grazed her, causing an explosion behind her.

"What's with that power!? If I get hit by that...!" Nanabi fearfully said, before quickly accumulating her power again.

"Take this! My ultimate attack!" Nanabi shouted, all of her tails shooting forward again.

"Mmmm... Useless..." Luka said, before his energy flared again, looking to my senses like a small star had appeared within him.

Nanabi couldn't stop in time, as she collided with the powerful energy.

"Impossible... This..." the Kitsune stammered in disbelief, before her body dissipated, reforming into a normal fox.

"Holy shit..." I breathed in awe, as Luka started to wake up.

"Mmm... Nmn... Fwa... That was a nice nap." he said as his eyes opened.

He blinked a couple of times, looking confused, before realization dawned on him.

"Ah that's right! Those weird eyes made me fall asleep!Hmm?" he exclaimed, as Nanabi's sealed form sat in front of him silently, before the first Kitsune he sealed appeared as well.

She ran around nervously for a few seconds, before finally lying down next to her comrade.

"What's going on...?" Luka asked in befuddlement, scratching his head with a curious expression.

"You don't remember?... It looks like you really were completely asleep." Alice commented as she reappeared.

I also left my hiding spot.

"Alice... Daniel... Just what happened?" Luka inquired in bewilderment.

"You kicked ass, that's what happened! Seriously man, what the hell is up with your sleeping habits!? Remind me never to get close to you when you sleep..." I quipped in an impressed tone.

"What?" Luka asked, blinking in confusion.

"You're significantly stronger when asleep, but I don't know why..." Alice elaborated.

"Eh? I am?" Luka questioned, still in a daze.

"You should only fight while sleeping from now on. If you do that, it will be an easy trip." Alice pondered.

"No way... Let's continue on! That Tamamo monster or whatever must be in there!" Luka declared, changing the topic, as I felt Tamamo's energy getting closer to us.

"It seems like you were too late..." Alice noted.

"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed, as the door before us opened.

I was very tempted to hide at that moment, but my feet felt like they were made of lead.

In fact, all of my body felt heavy, like gravity had suddenly increased, though it didn't appear to actually be the case.

As the door slowly opened, a lone small girl with blonde hair and fluffy fox ears on top of her head appeared, dressed in a miko outfit, a fan in one hand, numerous tails protruding from her back.

"She looks weaker than Nanabi..." Luka commented, sighing in relief.

"Idiot. Look at her tails." Alice pointed out.

"One, two, three... Nine!? But it's only two more than Nanabi..." Luka counted, looking unconvinced at Alice.

"...Idiot. Seven tails isn't even comparable with nine. She's one of the four Heavenly knights: Tamamo. One of the top monsters, like Granberia." Alice introduced.

"W...What!?" Luka fearfully stammered.

"Sorry, you two. You became like that as I moved onto the treasury." Tamamo said, patting the two sealed foxes on their heads.

"I'll give you a tiny bit of my power." she added, as a fragment of her energy passed through her palm into the silver fox.

Suddenly, the little Kitsune regained her original appearance.

"Wawawa..." the small monster yelped, as she hid behind Tamamo's back.

"Nanabi... It will take me a little longer to return you. Sorry, but I'll have to do it later." Tamamo apologized, as the small fox bowed at her feet.

Finally, the nine-tailed Kitsune turned to face us.

Her reaction was unexpected, as her gaze moved from my allies to me.

She stopped for a moment, looking at my face with a confused expression.

Then she blushed heavily.

Eh?

She opened her fan in front of her face, hiding her reddened cheeks, as she coughed lightly.

What?

"Hum... So you're Luka? Defeating Nanabi... You must have some skill." she commented, as she drew closer to us, her fan still hiding the lower half of her expression.

She glanced at me again when she reached us, her blush deepening, as I stayed uncomfortably silent.

Luka's gaze dropped to the old bell in her hand.

"No way... Is that..." Luka started.

"Indeed, this is the Poseidon's bell. Crossing over to Sentora is so annoying, so I'm taking this. Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me, But Alma Elma is so annoying..." Tamamo groaned.

"Alma Elma...?" Luka questioned.

"She's one of the four Heavenly Knights as well, causing a storm that blocks the route." Alice explained.

"Do the four Heavenly Knights have a reason to block the route...?" Luka questioned.

"Saying that... If you want this bell, what are you going to do?" Tamamo said, glancing at me for a moment again.

What was wrong with her?

"Uhm... Defeat you and take it, I guess?" Luka tried, as he moved to draw his word.

"...Stop. She isn't someone you can face right now." Alice warned, grabbing his wrist.

"But..." Luka protested, before Tamamo started laughing.

"Haha, that's surprising... That human caught your interest, Monster Lord?" she casually inquired, unaware of the bomb she had just dropped on Luka.

"Alice... You..." he stammered, looking at Alice in confusion and betrayal.

Alice was silent for a moment, before finally speaking up.

"...Did you finally realize it you idiot? I am the Monster Lord, Alipheese the sixteenth." she proclaimed.

"No way!" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oops... Was I not supposed to say that? I spoke out of place..." Tamamo wryly said, before Luka turned to me, his eyes meeting mine.

He instantly understood the implications, as my face was all but surprised.

"Y... You knew?" Luka asked in a strained voice.

"...I did." I simply confirmed.

"Why!?" he questioned in a loud, pained yell.

I sighed softly once, before replying with a calm voice.

"The signs were all there you know? You just never connected the dots. I told Alice I would keep it a secret until you figured it out on your own. You should know by now, that she's not a bad person despite her attitude right? How do you think she felt, hearing you speak about the Monster Lord?" I inquired, glancing at Alice.

Luka blinked a couple times, before turning to Alice again, his rage turned to thoughtfulness.

Alice herself stared at me in shock, probably having expected me to blame her for my silence.

Tamamo looked at me with what seemed to be renewed interest.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, before the nine-tailed Kitsune cleared her throat and started speaking again.

"Ahem... So, about the bell... It's not like I would be totally unwilling to part with it..." she trailed off misteriously.

What?

That wasn't supposed to be how the conversation would go.

What had I changed!?

"I would like to ask for something in exchange however..." she drawled, as a blush reappeared on her face behind the open fan.

"What do you want?" Luka inquired.

Tamamo then turned to face me, our eyes meeting for a moment.

I finally understood the implications, and I felt my blood freezing in my veins.

My refusal left my lips instantly.

"No." I firmly declared, despite my inner terror.

"What? What are you talking about?" Luka asked in confusion.

"It's not like I planned to ask for more than one night..." Tamamo disclaimed, after a moment of surprise.

"What?" Luka asked again, still failing to realize the stakes.

"I thought you would be used to this sort of thing, having lived together with monsters before." Alice pointed out in a puzzled tone.

"No. I will not be selling myself, under any circumstances. Am I clear?" I questioned in a serious voice.

Luka's eyes widened as he finally figured out what the discussion was about.

"That's right! That would go against Ilias' commandment..." he started.

"This has nothing to do with Ilias." I interrupted him.

"Then why not? I can assure you, despite my looks, I'm quite experienced..." Tamamo assured in a seductive tone.

"I don't have to explain myself. My answer won't change." I adamantly declared, crossing my arms in front of me.

"...Oh? Could it be...? You haven't been with anyone yet?" Tamamo said in realization, her tone growing hungrier.

A moment later, she took a step back in alarm, as her gaze met my own.

"I said no." I repeated in a chilling voice that seemed to drain the room of any warmth, as I looked at the old monster with absolutely cold eyes.

Glancing back at my allies, I noted they seemed to have the same reaction as Tamamo, as they stared at me with alarmed expressions on their faces.

After a moment, I closed my eyes and exhaled, lifting the oppressive atmosphere.

Tamamo coughed behind her fan, breaking the silence.

"Anyway, I'll be taking the bell." she concluded, before turning to the small Kitsune tugging on her sleeve.

I simply stared at the small bell in her hands.

"Hmm? What...? Hmmhmm... I see... So you saved her life Luka? Then, as the leader of the Kitsunes, I must thank you. Well then, here you go." she said, before handing Luka Poseidon's bell.

I looked away from her right after, as I now had nothing left to say to her.

"But... Is it really ok? Handing it over so quickly...?" Luka automatically questioned, before flinching and looking back at me.

I didn't turn to him, as I gazed at nothing, simply waiting for Tamamo to leave.

"I don't really care. The traps in this cave looked like fun, so I wondered in here." Tamamo shrugged.

"Oi, oi, that can't be... Well, whatever." Luka stopped talking, glancing at me again.

"Now what are you going to do, Luka? Are you going to try to defeat me?" the Kitsune asked.

"...There's no reason to fight. I'll only fight those who try to stop monsters and humans from coexisting." Luka denied.

"Hmm... An admirable endeavor. However, we will fight eventually. After all, I am one of the Monster Lord's four Heavenly Knights." Tamamo reminded.

"...If it happens it will happen." Luka declared.

"Well then... Farewell." Tamamo concluded, as she glanced at me for a last time before disappearing in a portal together with her two subordinates.

Silence reigned for a few seconds after that, as I sighed in relief.

I had never been more scared in my life...

"...So Alice, you're the Monster Lord...?" Luka asked, as Alice kept her eyes closed with a sad expression.

"...I didn't hide it. You were just too big of an idiot to realize it." Alice confirmed.

"Looking back on it, it was pretty stupid not to notice..." Luka wryly acknowledged.

"You should have noticed it when Granberia followed my orders. Daniel did. Isn't the only person who can give an order to the four Heavenly Knights the Monster Lord?" Alice deadpanned.

Luka was silent at that for a few moments.

"Why... Did you travel with me?" he finally inquired.

"My answer is the same as before. You're an interesting human. In addition I want to see the world with my own eyes. Traveling with you satisfied both of my interests." Alice explained.

"Did you really order an all-out war with humans?" Luka questioned.

"'Only in self-defense are you allowed to exert power.' That was my only command to the monsters. It must have gotten distorted when it reached human ears. I didn't want a full-scale war." Alice elaborated.

"Exert power not to rule humans, but only in self-defense...? But then why was Granberia at Iliasburg!?" Luka demanded.

"With the Slaughter of Remina, the humans were burning with hatred toward the nearby monsters, with a dangerous situation brewing. Violence was only approved for self-defense purposes. But... A lot of monsters seem to have taken a more liberal interpretation of what I meant. An inexcusable act." Alice claimed.

"What the hell happened then!? Wasn't it the Monster Lord's command to not leave a single survivor!?" Luka inquired.

"I don't know. Trying to find the truth of that situation is another reason for my journey, same as Daniel." Alice declared.

"That's right, Daniel! You said your parents are from Remina right? What did they tell you?" Luka asked.

I took a deep breath before answering.

"...As I already mentioned, they never actually told me what happened. I asked multiple times, but they never said a word. I have no idea why. But I'm certain the official story is a load of crap. Both versions." I said with certainty.

I did know what I was talking about, even if the reason was different from what my allies thought it was.

"Both versions?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"The slaughter of Remina took place before I took the throne. However, the previous Monster Lord did not give the instruction to attack that town either. I still do not know who gave the command for that. But the most mysterious part... Even the monsters that were living with the humans in Remina were slaughtered. Hence the official version according to many monsters, that say humans attacked first." Alice elucidated.

"Even the monsters were killed...?" Luka asked in realization.

Alice then seemed to gather her resolve, before speaking again.

"Well, that's the end of that talk. What are you going to do now, Luka? The opponent you have to defeat is right in front of you." she inquired neutrally.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed, before closing his eyes in thought.

I held my breath in anticipation.

This was another turning point.

Depending on Luka's answer, I might have lived or died there.

Thankfully, Luka did not draw his sword, instead adopting an unimpressed expression.

I closed my eyes in relief.

Another step towards survival.

"Don't joke around. What would you have done if I challenged you? Besides, if you vanished right now wouldn't the monsters just all be confused?" Luka questioned.

"Hmm... They might. I want them to obey my orders... But I still get the wishy-washy ones like Granberia and Alma Elma." Alice acknowledged.

"So the person causing the storm between the continents was Alma Elma herself, and she wasn't acting on your order?" Luka inquired.

Alice simply nodded in response.

"But you know... Granberia has always insisted that the Ilias temple is the ringleader of evil. It's a Hero manufacturing facility that churns out Heroes to fight monsters. She argues that destroying it is self defense. As a theory it's... Not too far off the mark. The people who call themselves Heroes are pretty unsightly." Alice then remarked.

Luka was silent at that.

"But is it ok? Not fighting me." Alice insisted.

"I already told you, Alice. I only fight monsters who get in the way of humans and monsters coexisting. But... The Monster Lord's castle is still my aim. It also looks like the four Heavenly Knights are going wild doing their own thing." Luka pondered aloud.

"I can understand their viewpoints... Therefore I usually leave them alone. I have my own viewpoint as the Monster Lord... All monsters are my cute subordinates. No matter what you say, I won't lend a hand to defeat my own cute little subordinates. You understand, right?" Alice asked.

"I won't ask for your help. You're traveling with me, but not my ally." Luka recited.

"...Exactly." Alice said with a small smile, before we started moving towards the exit.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, we left the dark cavern, stepping under the daylight again.

"Are you okay Daniel? You haven't said anything in a while." Luka asked with a concerned tone, as we walked out of the legendary pirate's cave.

"I'm fine." I simply assured.

Luka was silent for a moment.

"...Alright." he hesitatingly acquiesced.

However, I could tell that he still was uncomfortable, and Alice kept glancing at me with a thoughtful expression.

This needed to be addressed.

I couldn't afford for their trust in me to waver.

I still needed their help to survive.

And I knew that it was time to pay the price for it.

A price of truth.

I still didn't really want to.

And I couldn't do it in full anyway.

But I was just so tired of lying all the time.

And also, they deserved better...

"...Later. When we make camp." I finally declared, as Luka and Alice turned to me in surprise.

A moment later, Luka's lips stretched in a happy smile, his eyes glistening with tears.

Alice closed her eyes neutrally, turning slightly away from me.

I could only sigh in resignation, mentally preparing myself for the future discussion.

Despite the dread, a small part of me was looking forward to it.


	15. Chapter 15: Exposing and entrusting

As we walked towards Iliasport, I was busy organizing my own thoughts.

I had a lot to ponder about after recent events.

In retrospect, I had been impossibly lucky.

Tamamo's unexpected distraction had saved me from revealing anything vital.

I wasn't sure if she even had noticed about my lack of magic.

Her easygoing attitude could have been a facade, but I was fairly sure she had been sincere in her request, if my new sense was reliable enough to tell.

Which with someone like Tamamo?

I really had no idea.

Thinking back on it, I had overreacted again, just like that time with Alice, during the Mangragora encounter.

As she had mentioned, by this world's common sense my response to the Kitsune's advances was the abnormal one.

However, I had to dig deeper to understand my own thought process at the time.

Was it because she wasn't human?

Not really.

I wasn't ashamed to admit that at least some monsters were physically attractive.

And in this world, such relationships were the norm, or they would be after Luka's adventure was over with.

I didn't want to consider whether or not I would be still here by then...

Was it about her appearance?

I was admittedly off-put by hearing such a request from what looked like a little girl.

Though I knew her true body was much more developed, so that was not the issue either.

Was it age?

Well, she was impossibly old, but her true body was ageless, so did it count?

No, that wasn't it...

It was the fact that she had looked at me, and saw only my body, wasn't it.

I was never physically attractive, and I knew it.

Before coming to this world, nobody had ever looked at me the way Tamamo had.

And I was fine with that.

I didn't want a relationship based on something so superficial and shallow.

Especially because I knew that kind of reason wouldn't last.

As my body grew old, that attraction would disappear, leaving me with nothing but regrets.

My parents were proof of that.

They had gotten married young, and before I appeared in this world, they were... Distant from one another.

They still stayed together, but were always reminiscing about the old days, with a melancholic look on their faces.

I didn't want that for either myself or whoever I chose to be with.

Perhaps it was cheesy, but I always closely associated physical intimacy with love because of that.

I only wanted to be together with someone that saw all of me, beyond just appearances, and accepted it, flaws and all.

And, even then, only if I could do the same thing for them.

Unrequited love hurt, no matter the side you were on.

So, when I saw Tamamo looking at me like a piece of meat, I had instantly taken my stand.

That in itself was a bit out of character for me, however.

I expected myself to at least consider her trade for a moment, seeing as the stakes included the possible end of the world.

I had no guarantee that the little fox Luka had saved would come through, after hearing Tamamo's request.

In fact, she might have stayed silent to help her mistress obtain what she wanted.

But, as soon as I understood the implications, I had firmly planted my feet on the ground, not budging a single inch.

Well, that at least served to provide further proof for my theory.

Tamamo was a Heavenly Knight, strong as Granberia was, even in her sealed state, and her elemental affinity was with Earth energy.

I remembered the properties of Earth energy, and how my self felt heavier and more solid in her presence.

I had become more stubborn and unyielding, like a mountain that stood proudly on its own.

I still needed more proof, but this was further evidence for my theory that my behavior was, indeed, being influenced by external factors.

So, now I knew the reasons for my reaction.

I still had to deal with the aftermath.

Luka had been more silent than usual on the way, and Alice still stole glances at me from time to time.

I sighed softly once more.

This was going to be hard.

But it was necessary.

~– ~ – ~

After we finished setting up camp, and eating our evening meal, expertly prepared by Luka as always, It was time.

Luka looked at me thoughtfully, as Alice did the same with a neutral expression.

"Haaah... Where to begin?" I started, mentally rehearsing what I was about to say.

"You don't have to say anything." Luka interrupted, making me blink in surprise.

"It's obvious this is a difficult thing to talk about for you. We shouldn't pry." he elaborated with a resolute voice.

I was silent for a moment, as Alice looked at Luka with a slightly disappointed expression, that then turned neutral again, as her eyes closed.

I sighed deeply before speaking again.

"No. You guys also confided to me some very personal things, it's only fair that I reciprocate a bit." I declared.

Incomplete or not, they deserved SOME truth after all they had done for me.

I had to do this.

Even if it meant exposing one of my many weaknesses.

I waited for both of them to turn to me, and then started speaking again.

"As Tamamo managed to guess, I have never been with anyone. Until recently, no one ever looked at me with desire. Maybe because, considering my lack of scent, as Alice pointed out, and previously less than toned physique, I really never had anything going for me. I had a few female friends, but not one ever saw me as a potential partner. My parents got together young, and had my two older sisters relatively soon after. They took a break from childmaking after that for obvious reasons. Then, 23 years ago, there I was, soon followed by my little sister, two years later. At first things were still fine. As I grew up however, my father got older. My mother felt lonely, as his desire for physical intimacy waned. She never left him, and they're still together, as far as I know, but they grew a bit distant, as time passed." I recounted, my allies silently listening.

"It may be because of these reasons, but I have a somewhat idealized view of how love should be. I want to love, and be loved by someone that accepts who I really am, flaws and everything, and for whom I can do the same thing. And physical intimacy is only subordinate to this. To me, sex should be a way to show your acceptance to your partner, a demonstration of affection, not just a recreational activity. I realize this may be an uncommon way of thinking, but I don't care. This is what I want. Nothing less will do." I concluded, Luka looking at me with a dazed expression, and Alice with renewed interest.

"That's it. Any questions?" I finished, as Luka shook off his stupor, taking a pensive look.

"So your refusal didn't have anything to do with her being a monster?" Alice inquired.

"Not really. There are monsters that I find physically attractive, though not all of them, and Kitsune happen to be in that general category. If anything her apparent age was a bit off-putting, but I doubt she's as young as she appears, if her aura was any indication." I disclaimed.

"...You can tell a being's age from their aura?" Alice questioned.

"Not precisely, but I can generally tell if they're much older than me. Tamamo is." I answered.

I wasn't really lying I actually COULD tell Tamamo's energy was ancient and refined, like Micaela's had been.

"Just how good are your senses!? That's definitely abnormal!" Alice yelled in disbelief.

"I wouldn't know, but pretty good I guess?" I wryly said.

"Wait, how old IS Tamamo?" Luka suddenly inquired.

"No idea. Old. Well, any other questions?" I asked again, looking at my allies.

"What would you do if a monster tried to eat you? No offense, but you were a bit scary there..." Luka inquired in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

In retrospect, I did manage to make Tamamo no Mae, one of the oldest, and most powerful beings in the world, that had been through so many battles to the death I couldn't even imagine, take a step back.

That had to have been pretty badass.

Though, I didn't feel very badass now, thinking of how she could have reacted...

"Well, it depends. If the monster acts reasonable, I would at least try to dissuade them. If diplomacy failed, I would run like hell. I am pretty good at hiding too." I explained.

"And if you couldn't run or hide?" Alice pressed.

"I..." I trailed off uncomfortably.

I really didn't want to know.

My eyes fell to my dagger for a moment.

"I see..." Alice spoke in understanding.

Luka was silent.

"There's nothing wrong with defending yourself. Don't hesitate to do everything in your power to do so. Whether or not you want to, sometimes it can't be helped having to harm others to live." Alice declared.

I said nothing in response, silently hoping that the moment her words proved true for me would never come.

Unfortunately, I was painfully aware that it was just wishful thinking.

"Haaah...Well, anything else?" I asked after a sigh.

"I have no further questions at this time." Alice declared.

"Me neither." Luka added.

"Alright then. Shall we get to training?" I proposed, getting up from my spot near the bonfire.

Thus, we trained for a few hours into the night again.

As much as I wanted to deny it, my guilty heart did feel just a bit lighter that evening.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, we reached Iliasport again, the town still as deserted as the first time.

After replenishing our supplies, we headed to the port proper.

"This will be my first time leaving the continent..." Luka suddenly spoke, as we walked the empty streets.

"It's also the first time I'll step foot on the Sentora continent. I've passed over it in the sky a few times though." Alice added.

"I thought you only set out on your journey a few days ago?" Luka questioned.

"That's right. After I left the castle I flew right to the Ilias temple. That's how I met you." Alice explained.

"What a freak accident..." Luka commented, as we reached the harbor.

The fishermen there all looked busy loading and unloading their ships.

After a bit of inquiring, we found someone wearing a captain's uniform.

"Excuse me... We'd like to take a ship to the Sentora continent." Luka politely requested.

"Hah! You must be joking, young boy. You know what happens to any ship that leaves here, right?" the captain deadpanned.

"If we hang this Poseidon's bell from the bow, it should be alright." Luka declared, showing the aforementioned bell.

"...Don't be ridiculous. If such a dirty bell would let me avoid storms, I'd be rich." the captain said, looking annoyed.

"If you let me give it a try, you'll understand. I'll prove I'm not tricking you if you just let me have a small boat or something..." Luka insisted.

"I don't have enough free time to listen to some brat's prank." The captain concluded, ignoring his request.

"...Move, Luka." Alice said, suddenly standing in front of the captain.

I looked away from her just in case, as her magic focused on her eyes.

"Ohh... What a fine woman. I'd give you a special ride." the captain said in a sleazy tone, before Alice's magic flared.

"...Follow my commands." she ordered.

The captain instantly stood straight, his energy in disarray.

"Yes! Your wish is my command!" he shouted respectfully.

"Take us to the Sentora continent. Start the preparations at once." Alice commanded.

"Understood! Oi, you all! Pack up your fishing stuff and get ready for departure!" the captain yelled to the sailors, who looked at him with off-put expressions for a moment, before complying.

"Alice... Did you hypnotize him with your eyes?" Luka questioned.

"Haha... These are the magic eyes that high-ranking monsters have. Using them I can charm, confuse, petrify, or cause someone to faint at my will." Alice explained proudly.

"That's awfully convenient..." Luka commented.

"Yeah, remind me to never piss you off." I quipped wryly, looking away from her.

"Anyway, thanks for the help." Luka said gratefully.

"Hrm. Don't get the wrong idea. It would just be annoying to be stuck here." Alice said, in a perfect tsundere impression.

God, my life was SO weird...

"We're ready to depart! Please board!" the captain politely requested.

"Captain, where are we taking these people? Who are they anyway?" a sailor inquired.

"You idiot! Watch your mouth in front of these fine people! These fine travelers are... Who again?" the captain finished dumbly.

"It doesn't matter, let's just board." Alice declared.

"...Thanks for the ride..." Luka said wryly.

I simply shook my head in bemusement, and followed my allies aboard the ship.

~– ~ – ~

That night, above the deck, Alice's special training continued.

I kept paying attention to my new sense the whole time, in anticipation of what I knew would come.

"During battle, it's normally suicide to jump. When you jump, it's pretty damn obvious what your movement are going to be until you land. But this Demon Skull Beheading is different. By falling too fast for them to hit you, you crush the skull of your enemy." Alice lectured, as she instructed Luka in learning his new technique.

"Like this...?" he tried, quickly running up the mast, and swinging down with his sword as he jumped off.

He repeated the movement over and over, correcting his mistakes under Alice's direction.

"Hmm... You're still immature, but you learn quickly. It's more or less like that. You need to master it in actual combat now. This technique was a favorite of Desureia the harpy, who was known as the Death on Wings. Smashing the skulls of three hundred enemies, their brains covered the field in a mess." Alice recounted.

"...I want you to teach me more Hero-like abilities..." Luka pleaded dejectedly.

"There's a big issue in using this technique, though. As you saw, you need to be at a great height to use this technique... And since you're a human, you can't fly in the air." Alice pointed out, ignoring his complaint.

"Yes. I know that." Luka deadpanned.

"So there's a condition. If there's nothing to climb nearby, you can't use it. Even if you have the necessary skill, you won't be able to use it if you can't climb anything." Alice concluded.

"I see... I get it, I'll make sure I remember that." Luka declared, as Alice started staring at Luka's ring.

"...Hey Luka. Excuse me but... Can I see your ring?" she requested.

"Alice, I already told you that you can't eat it." Luka reprimanded.

"Who do you think I am? Watch your mouth. I won't eat or steal it, I'm just a little interested." Alice disclaimed.

"Then is it ok for you to look at it while it's on my finger? I promised my dying mother that I would always carry it with me." Luka conceded.

"That's fine..." Alice acquiesced, staring at the accessory.

After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.

"The residual thoughts from this ring aren't anything special... The hidden power you had doesn't seem related to the ring..." she pondered.

"That thing that happened when I beat Nanabi? When you and Daniel said I continued to fight her while sleeping?" Luka questioned.

"Though you may not remember it, that power was extraordinary. One ring like that couldn't give you such power..." Alice elaborated.

"Was it so amazing when I was asleep...?" Luka wryly asked.

"Maybe... One of your ancestors was some high-ranking monster or something. Usually monsters only have female children... But there are some exceptions in rare cases. In some strange mutations, it can be a male. In that way a normal human male is born. But they usually retain some monster blood, even if inert. Daniel's case is puzzling." Alice said.

This was interesting.

I remembered when I first lied about my parentage that Alice had doubted my story because I had no monster blood she could feel.

However, in the game, I distinctly remembered that it was indeed possible for a normal human male to be born to a monster.

In fact, it was rarer for a human offspring to retain some magical power.

However, this made more sense, speaking by an evolutionary standpoint.

It was statistically way more probable for at least SOME of the genes from the mother to be passed on. And ALL monsters had some dark magic.

Was this just another way of saying the same thing, or was I in some sort of alternate universe?

What would this change in the long run?

I had no idea.

"A monster... As one of my ancestors?" Luka repeated in confusion.

"Well, it's only a guess. Your power sure wasn't ordinary. If you have such an amazing latent power, hurry up and master it. Idiot." Alice ordered.

"Even if you say that..." Luka lamented.

"If you have potential like that, it's sure to develop as you fight more. We'll train a lot from now on." Alice declared.

"I know already... By the way, Alice... Did you say you could feel thoughts from this ring?" Luka inquired.

"Yes... But it isn't particularly special. Nor does it seem like it's effecting you. Just some thoughts of a mother worried about her child. It's probably your mother." Alice explained.

"I see.. My mother's feelings..." Luka said, tightly gripping his ring.

"I also thought that your mother was a monster... But I can't feel any magic like that from the ring. The owner of that ring was definitely human." Alice claimed.

I knew better, of course.

But indeed, Luka's mother HAD been human as she wore that ring.

Only, she wasn't born as one.

"Of course! Besides, my mother died of sickness..." Luka trailed off in a dejected tone.

I remembered reading somewhere, that it had been Ilias who sent the plague that had cost Lucifina her life, in order to force her out of her form.

However, she had chosen to die as a human instead.

I had mixed feelings about her choice.

"I see... I'm sorry to make you remember something painful." Alice apologized.

"Don't worry about it... By the way, what about your parents?" Luka inquired.

"...I have no idea about my father. Our race only cares about the mother. Perhaps it was just some man my mother attacked. I don't care if she ate him or not... But with my mother's character, she probably didn't kill him." Alice claimed.

I knew she was probably lying though, what with the rules her family had about potential partners having to be stronger then them.

Or did that only apply to marriages?

I couldn't quite remember...

"Somehow that's..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

"My mother was the fifteenth head of our family... But now she's no more." Alice concluded, her voice neutral, but it was obvious she was in pain.

"I see..." Luka acknowledged in sympathy.

"It's gotten a little gloomy... Now, let's resume the training." Alice declared.

Suddenly, my senses lit up in alarm.

The sea started to rage, shattering the peaceful atmosphere, and a storm gathered around us.

I shivered in sudden terror, as the powerful wind energy that had caused the FUCKING WEATHER to change overwhelmed my new sense.

She was here.

"Is this the storm they were talking about?" Luka asked worriedly, before the bell hanging on the bow of the ship started emitting a calming aura, our ship remaining unbothered by the raging waves, even as the storm brewed around it.

"Alright! As expected of Captain Selene's treasure!" he exclaimed in a reassured tone.

"Hrm... What a wonderful treasure a human had." Alice commented wistfully.

Suddenly her expression turned dark, as the storm around us dissipated into nothingness.

"Uwa... What happened!?" Luka asked, looking around in confusion.

I closed my eyes instead, trying to sense the origin of the powerful energy I had felt.

Even though I sensed her coming, however, I just couldn't react fast enough...

One moment, I was on the deck of the ship.

The moment after I was flying through the air, held up by two strong arms, as someone embraced me from behind, a soft weight pressing on my back.

I could hear wings leisurely flapping behind them.


	16. Chapter 16: Begging and crumbling

"Hello there. You must be the man Granberry has been griping about lately huh?" The Succubus holding me aloft asked in a friendly tone.

But I could tell it was a facade.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. Could you let me down slowly, please?" I politely requested, inwardly panicking, as my legs dangled in the air, several meters from the deck of the ship.

I could feel the monster's aura, comparable to a raging storm, far more powerful than the one we had briefly experienced, concentrated in her soft frame.

"My, how polite. What if I refuse? Are you going to draw that dagger of yours on little ol' me? I would like to play with it..." Alma Elma inquired playfully, throwing in an undoubtedly intended double-entendre.

"You...!" Luka yelled out from below, temporarily catching the Succubus' attention.

"I see... So you're that human. The boy that caught Alice's eye... You look delicious." the monster said with a hungry tone, licking her lips as her arms tightened around my chest, almost painfully.

"Lord Alice... According to your order, I'll exterminate these two Heroes who have been attacking monsters. May I execute your orders of defense?" Alma Elma respectfully inquired to her lord.

"I'm not a Hero! I'm just a traveler! I never even hurt a monster before!" I loudly protested.

"Is that why my friend told me you had a dagger to her throat?" Alma curiously questioned, her grip tightening just a bit more.

"I never hurt her! I was bluffing my ass off! I only picked up that dagger for the first time the day before, there was no way I could use it on HER of all people!" I confessed.

"Why should I believe you?" Alma Elma inquired, her playful tone hiding the underlying threat.

"Ask Alice! I never even used the damn thing since then!" I requested.

"Let him go!" Luka ordered, pulling out his sword. Alma Elma turned to him for a moment, before looking back at Alice.

"...I don't give exceptions. I'm just observing Luka. I'm not protecting him, nor giving special treatment... That said, Daniel is not lying. I have witnessed for myself that he has never harmed a monster since I met him." Alice declared, gratitude filling my mind.

"But I'm so hungry! I want to eat!" the Succubus complained in a childish tone, swinging my body left and right as she threw her tantrum in midair.

"Surely you can't fault me for that! I'll even leave him alive by the end of it! I can't make promises about his sanity though... You know just how fragile human minds are..." the monster trailed off in a wry tone.

Alice looked torn for a few seconds, before slowly closing her eyes in acknowledgement.

No...

"I said, let him go!" Luka repeated louder, looking at my swaying form in concern.

"What's that, Luka-boy? You want to play with me? Let's make this interesting then... If you win, I let your friend go, as you asked. If I win, I get to eat you both..." Alma Elma proposed in a greedy voice, turning to face him, her head laying on my shoulder from behind.

"Fine! Now let him down!" Luka reiterated, agreeing to her terms.

No...

"Fufu... A little Hero, so full of courage. How do you want me to violate you, Luka-boy? Do you want to use my hand?" Alma Elma playfully questioned, her fingers caressing my pants.

"How about my mouth?" she asked, before licking my neck, sending a shiver through my spine.

"How about I squeeze you between my breasts...?" she continued, as she quickly turned me around, and buried my face in her bountiful chest, almost suffocating me in the soft flesh.

"Or... Do you want to try anal?" she tried, turning her ass to face Luka.

"Oh, how about I try it like this... Doesn't this tail look really good, too?" she suddenly perked up, as her long tail swished through the air behind her.

"Guh!" Luka grimaced, still looking at me in worry.

In the meantime, I never hated myself more, feeling my body react to the stimulation.

This was bad.

"Alright! I'll do it with my tail! Without using my hands, feet or magic, I'll play with you. Struggle as much as you can, and let me enjoy myself. After we finish playing, I'll be sure to suck you dry. Then... Here I come!" the Succubus declared, drawing closer to Luka from above, still carrying me in her arms.

"Ora!" Luka yelled, slashing at his foe, careful not to hurt me in the process.

At that moment, I considered the implications of his actions.

Luka hadn't realized yet, but he was wielding a blade meant to be nonlethal from the start.

A weapon that sealed whatever it cut by forcefully absorbing their magic.

However, I had no magic to absorb.

What would happen to me if I were to be cut?

Would the sword lethally wound me as if it was any mortal weapon?

"Stop..." I weakly voiced.

"I'll play with your penis... If you're even a little careless, my tail will suck in your penis. Gently wrapped around you, I'll suck all your semen out." the monster teased, as she still held me close, easily dodging the slash, and quickly rubbing her tail on Luka's pants.

"Haa!" Luka yelled, his sword flying in his hands, barely avoiding me.

The monster dodged that swing as well, seemingly unencumbered by my weight.

"I beg you... Don't..." I softly spoke.

"I'll give you a present from my tail." Alma Elma spoke, as a sticky mucus oozed out of her tail, quickly covering Luka's crotch.

"Fufu... Don't you want to feel the pleasure my tail can bring? Just drop your sword for a second... If you do that, I'll show you the best pleasure..." the Succubus said in a sultry voice, leaning closer to my ear.

"Shut up...!" Luka yelled.

"Fufu... Are you imagining it? Your penis being sucked into my tail... Being stroked inside my soft tail, bringing you an amazing pleasure. You wouldn't even last ten seconds, Luka-boy." Alma Elma taunted.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, his breath ragged.

He swung his blade again, to the same result as before.

"Just stop... Please..." I begged in a quiet voice.

"Haha... I'll wind my tail all around you!" the succubus declared, as her tail lifted Luka in the air, his arms trapped under it.

"Haha... I caught you. Get ready, I'll make you feel amazing..." Alma Elma taunted, as Luka started struggling.

"Just sit back and be quiet, I'll send you to heaven. It's not even close to being over." she said, as her tail quickly exposed Luka's member.

Then a mouth appeared at the tip of her appendage.

"Now... I'll suck your penis in my tail's hole. It feels amazing inside, so get ready for it. Fufufu... I'll show you heaven." she gloated, sure of her victory.

Thankfully, however, it was not over just yet.

Luka used the awkward movement of the tail to get an arm free, slashing at the appendage with his sword, as the monster was forced to release him from her hold.

"Arara... You ran away. I was going to all that trouble to show you heaven, too..." The Succubus commented in a disappointed voice.

Luka took the chance to meditate for a moment, his energy calming down, before charging her again.

"I'm sorry... Just stop..." I barely whispered.

Alma Elma just kept dodging, rubbing her tail on Luka whenever he got close to her, my voice seemingly unheard.

"Fufu... Why don't you just surrender? Don't you want my tail to squeeze out all your semen?" she asked playfully, as Luka's breath became ragged again.

"Just let me go... Please..." I implored my tormentor.

"Why should I? Don't you like being held by me?" she questioned seductively, as Luka seemed to realize something and turned to the ship's mast.

I could tell what Alma Elma was thinking when she saw that, as she smirked at me.

"No... You don't understand... Please..." I started, as Luka ran up the mast, blade in hand.

Alma Elma turned to face him, as I finished my sentence.

"...Don't make me hate you..." I desperately pleaded with a broken voice, tears falling from my eyes.

Alice's eyes widened, as Alma Elma's head turned to me in confusion.

Luka used her momentary distraction to complete his move, jumping off the wooden pole.

"How about this! Demon Skull Beheading!" he yelled out, his sword falling towards both his opponent and me.

I could tell from its path, he had realized his weapon wouldn't hurt me, or so he thought.

I closed my eyes, unable to watch, but my aura sense still told me the blade was inching closer, unwavering in its path.

"...Kya!?" Alma Elma yelped, as she caught his blade in one hand, the other still holding me close.

"No way..." Luka said in disbelief, as his best attack was completely denied.

Alma Elma just stared at me in confusion, as I spoke again.

"I'm sorry... I never wanted to make you worry about your friend... I promise I'll never appear in front of her again... Please..." I begged, my voice hoarse from my sore throat, my eyes unfocused and lifeless, with more and more tears streaming from them.

Alma Elma reflexively turned to Alice, who was looking at me in utter shock.

Luka was similarly dumbstruck for a moment, before his expression turned fierce.

The Succubus, however, spoke up at that moment, preventing him from acting on his rage.

"...Aha, it looks like I lost." she chuckled, as Luka stopped in his tracks.

"Eh...!?" he dumbly let out.

"I promised right? I wouldn't use my hands, feet or magic. But I had to use my hand to stop that attack... This time I'll give the win to you. This is way too serious for me anyway." she finished while releasing her hold on my body.

As I slumped to the ground, my friend quickly moved to my side.

"Such a thing if fine, right Lord Alice?" the Succubus Queen respectfully inquired.

"...If that's what you want, it's fine by me." Alice finally conceded, taking her eyes off of me for but a moment.

"Haha... So that's how it is. I'll retreat this time. But next time... I'll be a serious opponent. I'll violate you like this... Even if you scream... Even if you faint... Teasing you all over, I'll show you a hellish pleasure. Make sure you look forward to it, Luka-boy." Alma Elma said, seductively licking her finger, as she looked at Luka.

As a strong wind surrounded the Succubus, hiding her from our sight, I could tell through her aura she was looking at me with a strange expression, before she shot towards the sky faster than a speeding bullet.

"I... Won...? Daniel! Are you ok!? Are you hurt!?" Luka questioned in disbelief, before turning to me in worry.

I could only stay silent, my knees on the ground, trembling slightly.

"...I..." Alice started speaking.

"Don't. Not now." I firmly interrupted her, as I slowly got up, without looking at her.

She didn't say a word after that, still staring at me.

"I know. I just need some time. So don't talk to me now." I requested, before turning to face Luka.

"Thank you, Luka. You saved my life." I acknowledged in a tone as grateful as I could muster.

"Daniel..." Luka tried to speak, but I was already walking towards my cabin.

After closing the door behind me, I threw myself limply on the bed, sobbing and shivering.

I blacked out soon after that, feeling Ilias' gaze on my body through the magical window that had followed me inside, even away from Luka.


	17. Chapter 17: Consequences I

Part 1: Luka

Luka didn't know much about Daniel, he realized, as his friend walked towards his own cabin, the Hero apprentice having failed in his attempt to console him.

When they had met, Daniel was lost in a forest, alone and without food or coin.

Luka had taken him to his hometown, as a true Hero would never abandon a lost traveler in a dangerous place.

Along the way, they had talked a bit, as Daniel had been curious about the place he was being led to.

This before Daniel had stopped their conversation in order to save his breath, as Luka's new friend strained his less than toned (as he himself had put it) physique, in an attempt to keep the young Hero apprentice from being late at what was supposed to be the most important event of his life.

Luka had left Daniel outside his house, as he ran to the temple.

However, he was turned away at the door, as his Goddess did not appear for him.

When the unbatpized young man had come back, there his friend was, patiently waiting for him.

Daniel had even tried to console him, before the monster Luka had spoke with in the forest right before bumping into him had reappeared.

His new friend had surprised Luka with his easy acceptance of the monster in his home, and even more so when he revealed his background and objective.

Luka was overjoyed.

Another human that had the same dream he had, and followed the same ideal he did...

Even better, one that had lived his whole life with monsters, and had already experienced the world Luka was trying to build!

It was as if Ilias herself had sent him to be the perfect comrade for Luka to follow him on his journey...

~– ~ – ~

Luka was disappointed when Daniel would refuse to answer some questions about his village, but he understood his friend's reasoning.

He didn't blame him for his carefulness, especially inside of Ilias village, given the strong hatred other villagers had for monsters.

After they had departed from Luka's hometown, Alice had joined them on their travels, and Daniel had cheerfully welcomed her into their group.

At first Luka was a bit annoyed at his friend for making the decision without asking for his approval, but was later convinced by his sound arguments, and that was that.

~– ~ – ~

When the first battle together was on the horizon, Luka had felt a bit betrayed, as his comrade told him that he was not, in fact, going to fight by his side.

However, Luka knew how dangerous fighting monsters was, and had trained for years in preparation, while his friend obviously hadn't.

Then Daniel had showed off his impressive senses and stealth, effortlessly making the powerful monster run away despite his utter lack of battle experience and even exercise.

Luka was a bit envious at first, but then his friend had joined him in his new training, and Luka could tell he truly was not used to physical exertion.

He had collapsed multiple times after the first few sets, but he always got back up, showing his willpower.

Luka was awed at his comrade's courage and wit, as he contradicted and successfully persuaded the powerful monster they traveled together with to contribute to their budget in order to repay the money the young apprentice Hero had spent on the necessary supplies for his new friend to come along on the journey.

After the first training session ended, Luka answered Alice's questions, despite the pain some of the memories brought him.

He had hoped this would help him in getting closer to his new friend.

His reaction, however, had been a little off.

He was sympathetic, yes, but there was also something else, something Luka couldn't understand.

Unable to tell what his friend was thinking, the young Hero apprentice hadshrugged it off, and gone to sleep.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Luka had been saddened to hear that his friend did not worship the same Goddess he did.

He just couldn't understand how anyone could possibly deny Ilias' divinity, and tried to make his friend see the error of his ways.

However, unlike Alice, his comrade hadn't openly denounced his faith, simply limiting himself to calmly explaining his reasoning.

Luka did not press any further, hoping he would convert in the future.

After all, the young Hero knew Ilias was a forgiving Goddess.

She surely would welcome his friend into her grace with open arms.

~– ~ – ~

Luka was certain something had happened between his two companions during his struggle with the Mandragora, but decided to inquire later, seeing his friend's stoic expression.

Then Granberia had appeared, making him completely forget about it.

Luka would be lying if he said he wasn't scared, but seeing the look of terror on his friend's face had spurred him to act, in order to, if nothing else, give him time to run.

The young Hero had done his very best, even using his new technique, only for the monster to effortlessly swat him away like a fly, having failed to gain even a single minute.

However his friend's following actions were nothing short of insane.

Luka had watched the dagger he himself had bought his new comrade, for HIS safety, soundlessly appearing on the Heavenly Knight's throat like the scythe of the grim reaper, Daniel's head poking out behind his opponent a moment later.

His friend had stood up for him, looking the Dragon-kin dead in the eyes, unflinching.

However, Luka knew his friend had no chance to win against such an opponent, even with the advantage he had gained.

Luka pleaded for him to run, only for his comrade to hold still, keeping eye contact with the monster.

When he saw Alice intervene, Luka's mind was filled with relief.

His friend was going to survive.

~– ~ – ~

Luka had immediately lambasted his comrade for his recklessness, ignoring his own hypocrisy.

He was a Hero, Heroes were supposed to face dangerous monsters, not civilians with barely any training!

Daniel had seemingly acknowledged his mistake, looking like he was truly reflecting about his actions.

Luka had let the matter go, hoping he had truly gotten through to his friend.

Nevertheless, he wouldn't allow his friend to face such a danger again, no matter what.

~– ~ – ~

After a VERY awkward moment the day after, Luka and his group did both their shopping and their information-gathering, and were finally ready to depart.

When Luka received his powerful new blade, and tested its power in combat, he felt slightly bad about receiving it instead of his loyal friend.

But seeing as his comrade was happy with being able to avoid fighting, Luka acquiesced to his decision.

As Luka asked for his friend's opinion on which path to follow, he noted Daniel was seemingly surprised by the fact his opinion mattered at all.

Luka couldn't understand why that was, and followed his comrade's advice after asking for it, despite Alice's attempts to dissuade him.

~– ~ – ~

In the end, his friend had been right about there being more to the bandits' story.

He had also avoided helping him during his fights, as he hadn't needed it.

In fact, he was as unobtrusive as he could be, while still keeping a nonchalant attitude.

He had even teased him a couple times!

Maybe it was finally time for his friend to open up a bit!

~– ~ – ~

Luka's attempt to help him do so was... Successful?

Luka could tell something was amiss, but he got distracted soon after with the whole Happiness village debacle, and was too tired by the end of it to dig any deeper, as his friend had left the party early.

He was, however, thankful for the fact his friend had followed his instructions and stayed out of danger, despite his own recklessness in facing a monster Queen alone.

~– ~ – ~

On the way to the village of Enrika, Daniel had looked thoughtful, even more than usual.

Luka hadn't pried, leaving his friend some space.

When the strange woman who claimed to know his parents had separated him from their group, Luka was worried at first, but he respected his friend's decision, and accepted his explanation after he came back, despite something being off about it, he felt.

However, after a token attempt, he didn't pry any further.

He knew, by now, that his comrade was a very reserved person, and didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

~– ~ – ~

His comrade had listened with interest to the story of Heinrich the Hero, making Luka think there could be hope for him to realize Ilias' greatness, the Goddess having a central role in the events he depicted.

However, Daniel hadn't shown anything more than the same polite interest, even at the most miraculous acts Ilias had performed.

His friend also later denied with a single word having any knowledge of the Monster Lord, which was a bit off-putting.

As they exercised together, Luka noted that his friend was losing a lot of weight, his body becoming more and more toned and agile.

He was impressed by his friend's dedication to his training, inspired to follow his example.

~– ~ – ~

All the way to Iliasport, again, Daniel had kept himself out of fights, staying silent most of the time.

He did, however, take the time to reassure Luka about his loyalty, and Alice's intentions.

Luka was grateful for that.

~– ~ – ~

When they reached the port, Luka was disappointed that his friend still wouldn't reveal his village's secrets to them, but he didn't insist, fearful of his friend's possible rejection.

~– ~ – ~

When Luka was facing a dangerous monster in the cave containing the legendary pirate's treasure, his comrade's advice had prevented him from acting rashly, and possibly losing his life.

Luka promised himself to be more careful from then on, lest he be unable to protect his loyal friend anymore.

~– ~ – ~

The encounter with Tamamo was...

Enlightening.

Luka had tried to keep up with the conversation, but the multiple sudden revelations had left him disoriented.

However, the most incomprehensible thing of all had been his friend's reaction to the Kitsune's proposal.

His cold tone and expression had been frightening to Luka, as he felt like he was looking at a different person than his goofy, awkward, loyal friend.

It was heartbreaking for Luka to see him like that, even if he had lied about not knowing who the Monster Lord was.

~– ~ – ~

After managing to organize his thoughts, Luka tried to let his friend know he was there for him.

He was overjoyed when Daniel promised to talk, later that day.

Finally, his reserved comrade was ready to trust him as much as Luka already believed in him.

As he walked however, Luka realized he might have been prying about something too personal.

Fearful of his friend's possible rejection, once again he offered to let the matter drop.

His friend, however, proved his loyalty once again, entrusting them with a precious piece of himself.

Luka was proud at this accomplishment, having managed to learn more about his friend, and also helping him return to his usual, slightly goofy, self.

And then Alma Elma had happened.

Luka had never felt so powerless before, with his friend in the clutches of a monster too powerful for him to hope to defeat, as she toyed with them both.

He grew more and more unsettled, as his friend slowly broke down in front of him, trapped in the monster's grasp.

The moment Luka heard his loyal comrade's broken plea to the Succubus, even as he ran up the ship's mast to use his new technique, his heart stopped.

However, he instantly recovered, using his rage to power his attack even more, yelling loudly as he fell towards his opponent, trusting his magical blade to not harm his friend.

The Heavenly Knight, however, had stopped his last desperate attack with one hand.

Luka was just as stunned as everyone else at his friend's sobbing apology, before fury took over his mind.

Before he could make another move however, his opponent had declared her loss on a technicality.

The young Hero quickly ran to his friend's side, as the monster took a last verbal jab at him, before disappearing in a gust of wind.

Luka felt his own heart breaking, as his friend thanked him for saving his life, and fled to his cabin.

* * *

Part 2: Alice

Alice could not say anything, as the human she had hurt ran away from her.

Their first meeting had been surreal, even more than the one she had just had with the fake Hero they both traveled with.

He had seemingly appeared out of thin air, startling her, as she had not been able to feel his presence at all.

Even stranger still, he had seemingly no problem accepting her as a person, despite her species.

All the more intriguing had been his absurd story of a supposedly hidden village, where monsters and humans peacefully coexisted, and his pride at having a monster parent, despite the utter lack of monster blood in his body.

In fact, the puzzling human seemingly did not possess any kind of perceivable power at all, a fact which lead to an embarrassing misunderstanding that would forever be buried in the annals of history.

~– ~ – ~

The human had soon subtly apologized at the unintended faux pas, helping her in her objective of observing the young fake Hero on his journey in return.

Alice hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now she wondered why he had done that.

Had he already known who she really was?

She wasn't likely to get an answer anytime soon now...

~– ~ – ~

Little after that, the human managed to surprise her yet again, showing off his keen senses and capacity for stealth.

If he ever trained to kill monsters, he would have been a terrifying opponent, Alice assessed, as the human employed a well-thought out strategy to chase away the monster, impeding the fake Hero from wasting all their salt in the process.

~– ~ – ~

She had, in fact, considered not training the human at all, as unlike the fake Hero, he could have become a legitimate threat if his professed intentions turned out to be a lie, a possibility she couldn't discount seeing as she couldn't read him at all.

So, she had given him some basic advice on how to wield a dagger, and a set of muscle training exercises, the bare minimum to protect himself, while she taught the fake Hero one of the powerful Cursed Sword techniques.

He had accepted her advice gratefully, and fully applied himself to his own training, despite the pain it evidently brought his untrained physique.

Alice hadn't expected that.

She also hadn't expected his calm and collected attempt to explain to Luka why he did not worship that awful Ilias woman, treating her words as a cherry tree with some good and some bad fruits.

And she definitely didn't expect his extreme reaction to her (admittedly overbearing and unwarranted in retrospect) behavior during the Mandragora incident.

The freezing tone he had spoken with had been different enough from his usual laid-back attitude, that it had sent a chill down her spine.

As they rejoined the Fake Hero, Alice decided to delay their confrontation until later, hoping her apology would be enough.

~– ~ – ~

As she had been watching the end of the fight between the Fake Hero and the Heavenly Knight of Fire, Alice never saw the terrifyingly stealthy human approach one of the strongest monsters under her command.

She stared dumbfounded at his sudden appearance on the battlefield, right as she had been about to intervene herself, keenly aware that the human stood no chance against her subordinate, despite having gained the upper hand.

When she finally shook off her surprise, Alice ran out to save both of the young men from the wrath of the Dragon-kin.

As she was about to inquire about his actions, the human collapsed to the ground right in front of her, his breathing ragged as his heart-rate spiked, his limbs trembling.

Alice easily recognized the symptoms of a mild panic attack.

~– ~ – ~

That evening, Alice decided to make good on her decision to apologize, using the chance to observe the human's reaction.

Again, he managed to surprise her, by seemingly forgetting the reason she was there in the first place, before casually denouncing his own conduct.

He did, however accept her peace offering, despite his initial reluctance.

That was telling.

In the end, he startled her yet again when he promised not to share her identity with his comrade for a nonsensical reason, a familiar fox-like grin on his face.

Alice sighed, as she was forced to admit this human was still a mystery to her.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, the puzzling man had spent nearly all his money on high-quality enchanted protective gear, despite his professed intent not to get involved in fighting monsters.

Alice had given up trying to understand his way of thinking, as she resolved to just keep learning more about him as the journey went on.

~– ~ – ~

When she gave Luka the cursed blade, Angel Halo, Alice had subtly glanced in the human's direction, half-expecting him to ask if she had a weapon to give him.

However, he never had.

~– ~ – ~

As they waited together for the fake Hero to defeat the tiny bandits, Alice was intrigued once again at his sound advice and impressive sensing capabilities, despite his claim to weakness in combat.

She idly wondered what kind of monster his mother was.

~– ~ – ~

When Daniel had spoken of his friends, in response to the fake Hero's prying, Alice noted he seemed to be uncomfortable for some reason.

Had something happened to him?

Or maybe... To his friends themselves?

She couldn't begin to guess.

~– ~ – ~

As Daniel exposed his reasoning during the discussion at Happiness village, Alice inwardly was taken aback by his blunt pessimism, unlike his normally casual self, and she had hidden her surprise with a scoff.

As the Fake Hero fought the queen Harpy, she saw him close his eyes in concentration, as he sensed the two combatants from the considerable distance, his hand never once reaching for his dagger, even as he wasbarely restraining himself from running out towards them.

He had left the festivities early that evening, running off somewhere.

Alice hadn't bothered to follow him, but now she wondered what he had been doing.

~– ~ – ~

When that Micaela woman had seen him, her eyes had narrowed, and she later requested to speak with him alone.

Whatever they had talked about, it wasn't clothes.

Even after the encounter, Daniel had looked shaken.

~– ~ – ~

That night, the human had kept his promise, and casually lied for her with a single word at the Fake Hero's inquiry.

As she taught Luka a new Cursed Sword technique, he wordlessly kept up his own subpar training regime.

She had purposefully ignored him, when he had spoke in her favor to the fake Hero, reassuring him of her goodwill.

~– ~ – ~

When the shopkeeper mentioned the storm impeding sea travel, Alice immediately thought of his claim of having arrived from the Sentora continent.

However, he did not provide an explanation for the contradiction, using his village's secret as an excuse, claiming that the method he used wasn't available regardless.

That set off a few alarm bells, but Alice still did not know what to make of it.

~– ~ – ~

As the Fake Hero fought the monsters in the cave, Daniel advised him yet again, impeding him from committing what, she knew, was a fatal mistake.

This despite not impeding Luka from springing the trap in the first place, thus avoiding the battle entirely.

Why was he so keen on having the fake Hero grow stronger, while he himself seemingly had no desire for better techniques or weapons?

~– ~ – ~

Alice's train of thought derailed into a freezing tundra, when the human had refused Tamamo's trade.

Just what sort of hell had he been through to make him like this!?

~– ~ – ~

That very same evening, for the first time, Alice had managed to understand a small, but significant, part of the puzzling human, as he exposed one of his deepest desires.

And then she had let Alma Elma trample over it.

Her thoughts at the time had seemed reasonable.

This was just going to be another trial for both him, and the Fake Hero she was raising.

He would learn to stand up for himself in combat, like he had defended Luka against Granberia, and when he verbally did so against Tamamo.

The Succubus had promised to leave him alive anyway, he may possibly have lost something, but he would have survived.

His broken plea had shattered that foolish illusion like glass.

What had she been thinking!?

He had made the correct decision not fighting Alma Elma.

He knew he had no hope of winning, even with the Fake Hero's support.

But, most of all, even towards an opponent that he could not reason with, that only wished to do him harm for an unreasonable motive, and was about to take something precious and irreplaceable from him, he still did not feel hatred.

She could only stare at him in shock, dumbstruck by his selflessness.

When the Succubus Queen acknowledged her loss on a technicality, she was struck numb once more.

She had barely managed to reply to her servant's question, forcefully tearing her eyes away from the human's crumpled form.

Shame had filled her even before the Heavenly Knight of Wind disappeared in a burst of her own element.

She had to say something, apologize for her horrendous, inexcusable mistake.

But before she could even start, he had stopped her, raising his hoarse voice to silence her.

Not in anger however.

But simply in pain.

Not now, he had said.

He would forgive her later, he meant.

Alice could only stare at the human numbly, as he got up, thanked the fake Hero for saving his life, and walked away.

* * *

Part 3: Ilias

The Goddess hadn't thought much of the human at first.

He was just a random nobody who was stupid enough to get himself lost in a forest, daring to delay what should have been her encounter with her Luka.

She had stayed her hand, however, and didn't smite him, seeing as there was no way she could show her marred visage to mortals anyway.

Besides, he did make a small effort to try and make up for his own mistake, so she would leave him alone for now.

~– ~ – ~

Ilias regretted her decision when she saw him acting friendly with the same damnable woman that had dared to wound her.

She had only held back from destroying him because Luka was by his side the whole time, and she didn't want to put her plans in jeopardy because of such a trivial existence.

His story had some troubling implications.

Ilias had been certain that there had been no survivors from the Slaughter she orchestrated, but if what this human said was true, then there was a loose end somewhere.

Thankfully, he seemingly didn't know of her involvement, his parents having wisely decided to keep their heads low so she would have less reason to look for them.

She sent out a few spies anyway.

Even so, the human was unimportant.

He was nothing but a powerless, ugly being, unworthy of her concern.

She was also amused by the damnable woman's hilarious misunderstanding, deciding she would have one of her angels reward him for that after she conquered the world.

Ilias herself would only have eyes for her Luka, after all.

~– ~ – ~

When he welcomed the damnable woman into their group she was about to smite him again, but his argument about their weakness was solid, and Luka had accepted it as well, so she had no choice but to stay her hand once more.

His keen sixth sense intrigued her for a moment, before she deemed it mostly inconsequential.

It could not possibly feel her scrying spell, so it would only serve to help Luka along the journey.

The human himself was powerless, after all.

She thought nothing of his training, as he would remain worthless, with or without it.

He was witty, but still nothing compared to her.

The trivial existence was out of her thoughts when she visited her Luka's dreams that night.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, he confessed to not worshiping her.

Ah, so he was a heretic, after all...

The Goddess had held some hope for him, hearing about how he had seemingly ran away from a monster instead of falling for their temptation.

But he really was just a worthless existence.

She was about to turn him to dust with her heavenly lightning, when a small voice in her head stopped her.

"He doesn't worship us... He doesn't praise us..." it said, as if that was a justification, instead of a the sin it was.

Still, she held her hand again, unwilling to be seen by Luka as a cruel Goddess that deprived him of his friend.

He was far more important than the worthless heretic after all.

And the heretic did coldly reject the damnable woman soon after, lifting her mood a bit.

~– ~ – ~

She was unimpressed by the human's stupidity in facing the monster that had defeated her Luka.

But it did serve as a distraction, so, her Luka could have...

And then the damnable woman had appeared, putting an end to the fight.

The Goddess scoffed in annoyance, as the heretic collapsed to the ground displaying his true worthlessness.

That night, she almost came down herself to stop the damnable woman from laying her dirty hands on HER Luka.

~– ~ – ~

The heretic was out of the Goddess' mind again, until he denied her once more.

Again, the small voice spoke.

"He doesn't need us... He doesn't ask us for blessings..." it said.

Iilas was getting irritated by this strange voice at this point, finding it impossible to ignore it any longer.

She tried to think of a way to get rid of it, as she watched her Luka fight his way through the cave, bedazzled by his brilliance during the fight with the seven-tailed fox.

The human managed to surprise her with his ceremonious rejection of the monster hag's proposal.

She had actually let out a small whoop at the sight of her reaction.

At least before the heretic had denounced her again.

The voice spoke once more.

"He doesn't seek our guidance... He walks his own path..." it said.

By this point Ilias was truly growing frustrated.

~– ~ – ~

That evening, the Goddess had listened to the worthless human rambling about his precious love.

As if that ridiculous idea was possible.

The voice spoke again, but this time Ilias couldn't make out what it said.

Good, she had thought.

Maybe it would leave her alone now.

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had actually laughed happily at the human's distress, when the damnable woman had abandoned him to his fate.

This was what he deserved, after denouncing her and acting friendly with her enemy.

The Succubus was an annoyance, but she was doing something right for once, she thought, as the worthless heretic was swung around like a ragdoll.

She was as dumbstruck as everyone else when she heard his broken plea.

Ilias didn't even notice as she guided her spell to follow him, leaving her Luka behind for the moment.

She witnessed him collapse on his bed, crying and trembling.

"He's in pain..." the voice said, now back in full force.

The Goddess narrowed her eyes in contemplation, as she observed the mortal's consciousness fade.

* * *

Part 4: Heavenly Knights (minus Erubetie)

"...I'm back." Alma Elma said, as she landed in the Monster Lord's castle's training grounds.

Granberia was busy practicing, and didn't immediately turn around.

"Where did you go?" the Dragon-kin curiously inquired to her friend.

Alma Elma, however, stayed silent.

"Alma?" Granberia asked, turning to face her friend, only to recoil in surprise at her dazed expression.

"What happened to you!?" the swordswoman yelled in a startled tone, sheathing her beloved blade, and closing in on her fellow Heavenly knight.

"I went to see him... The guy you mentioned..." Alma Elma started, in a voice that matched her vacant expression.

"What? Who are you talking about!?" Granberia demanded in a bewildered voice.

"The one... That you said had a dagger to your throat..." the Succubus Queen continued in the same tone.

Immediately, Granberia's fury started melting her surroundings, her expression a mask of hellish wrath.

"Did that bastard hurt you?" the Dragon-kin asked in a low, absolutely mad tone.

Instantly, Alma Elma's eyes widened in terror.

"No!" she yelled fearfully, taking her friend by surprise, the swordswoman's anger dissipating in confusion.

"...I hurt him..." Alma Elma weakly confessed.

"...Just what happened?" Granberia questioned in an astounded tone.

Alma Elma, the Queen Succubus, had caused someone pain?

That didn't make any sense!

Just what had the damned human done to anger her kind friend so?

A depressed Tamamo entered the room at that moment.

"Hey, Granberia. Hey, Alma Elma." she said dazedly, before doing a double-take at the succubus Queen's uncomfortable face.

"Wha... What happened to her!?" the old Kitsune asked in disbelief.

"I don't know. I've been trying to understand myself." Granberia explained.

"I just... He was..." Alma Elma slowly stammered.

"He?" Tamamo curiously inquired.

"That human who is traveling with Lord Alice. The one that snuck up on me." Granberia elucidated.

"What!? Someone managed to sneak up on you!? And it was that cute boy Luka? Why did I not hear about this!?" Tamamo asked in surprise.

"Cute boy? No, he was a fat bastard. I have no idea how he manages to hide his aura so well, he put a shitty dagger to my throat." Granberia disclaimed.

"...Fat? Are you talking about the hunk that turned me down? Now that I think about it, I can't remember what he smelled like..." Tamamo trailed off thoughtfully.

"...Hunk? Are we even talking about the same person?" Granberia deadpanned.

"He might have lost weight... His clothes looked too large for him... I only recognized him because you said he had no scent..." Alma Elma weakly commented.

"He lost that much weight in just a few days? What the hell has he been going through!?" Granberia yelled in disbelief.

"I think Lord Alice may be training him..." Alma Elma hypothesized.

"Just what did he do to you? Why are you like this?" Granberia asked her friend.

"...He apologized..." Alma Elma replied after a moment of hesitation.

"What?" the Dragon-kin asked in confusion.

"I was holding him in my arms... I asked Lord Alice if I could eat him... He said he never hurt a monster... I said I would leave him alive... Lord Alice allowed it... As Luka-boy tried to save him from me... He was begging me..." Alma Elma slowly explained.

"Whoa, back up, you said he apologized? About what?" Granberia questioned, as Tamamo looked thoughtful.

"He said... He was sorry... For making me worry... About you..." Alma Elma replied.

Both the Kitsune and the Dragon-kin looked at her with a dumbstruck expression.

"He asked me... Not to make him hate me..." the Succubus concluded in a broken voice, as a lone tear escaped her right eye.

Silence reigned for a few more seconds, before Tamamo and Granberia looked at each other in shock.

Soon after, Alma Elma ran towards her room, her fellow Heavenly Knights staring dumbfounded at her retreating form.


	18. Chapter 18: Finally facing reality

So, as you might imagine, I felt pretty shitty as I woke up.

I raised my sore body, dangling my legs off the side of the bed in a sitting position.

After a moment of confusion, I slowly started remembering.

I had hit my lowest point.

After being torn from my home, friends, and family, losing everything I ever worked for, and without even knowing why, I had been put at the mercy of a being that wished me harm, one I could not reason with, and I couldn't fight against.

Not just because of her overwhelming power, but also because she would have to be my ally in the future if this world was to survive.

My plea to her hadn't just been out of fear for myself.

My hatred was a dangeous thing.

Not because of what I could do.

But because of the things I knew.

Ilias was always watching Luka.

I couldn't predict the consequences if I were to snap, and blab in front of her.

I could have ended up condemning an entire world to ruin for a single grudge.

I needed to keep a solid hold of my emotions at all times.

And Alma Elma's aura had definitely NOT helped in that regard.

If Tamamo's power had made me more stable and grounded, Alma Elma's raging storm within had battered my mental defenses like a devastating hurricane.

Wind energy was free and whimsical by nature, and it also made my mind take on the same properties.

Only, unlike Alma Elma, my mind was full of repressed emotions and memories.

I had felt the barricade I had built to prevent myself from thinking about the losses I had suffered crumble, like dust in the wind.

And everything I had been holding back had broken out like a tidal wave, threatening to drown me.

Luka had thankfully managed to save me once again from a terrifying fate, no matter what I would have chosen by that point.

But the damage was done.

I couldn't ignore the memories anymore.

I couldn't put them back in the box.

There was no box.

The storm had left behind nothing but broken pieces.

This whole time, I had ran.

But I couldn't run from myself forever.

It was time to face reality.

I was here now.

I got up from my bed, and staggered to a small table with a wide bowl on top.

I grabbed my waterskin, and poured some water in the bowl, to wash my reddened eyes.

The relief was immediate.

Then, I dropped my entire face under the surface of the water, shivering at the sudden cold sensation.

I lifted my dripping head from the bowl, and wiped it with my hands.

I took a deep breath.

And then I finally faced myself, in the small mirror hanging from the wall.

I looked very different from how I used to.

My skin was slightly more tanned, my usual paleness born from lack of sunlight having receded a bit.

I had lost a lot of weight too, my old clothes now looking slightly too large for my thinner frame.

Some muscle could be seen, where previously there was nothing but fat.

My beard had grown to a decent size, making me look even older than usual.

My eyes were the only thing that looked the same as always, if a bit red and puffy at the moment.

I was still me.

But also not.

I was different now.

And I had to accept that was not the only thing that had changed.

My home wasn't here.

My friends weren't here.

My family wasn't here.

They were still back there... They had to be.

And I would do my best to make them proud, even if they never knew about it.

The time to run away from everything was over.

"Land ho!" a sailor yelled, making me turn towards his presence atop the mast.

Then I focused my senses on my friends' waking forms in their own cabins, behind the ship's wooden walls.

That's right.

Friends.

Not allies anymore.

True, I was still hiding the truth from them.

But this time, It wasn't just for myself.

I would make sure the best possible future I already knew to be achievable became reality for them.

It was the only way to both repay their kindness, and to atone for my lies.

I had no illusion it would be easy.

I had no guarantee of success.

Neither did I know whether or not they would forgive me for my betrayal of their trust.

But I had to try.

I left my cabin with something I had never possessed before.

Resolve.

Whether or not this new feeling would last, I would have to see.

~– ~ – ~

"Hey guys." I casually greeted my two companions, after sneaking behind them.

"Gah! Where did you come from!?" they exclaimed in unison.

I just laughed in response.

Man, this was never going to get old.

Both Alice and Luka looked at me in utter shock.

"What's up with you two? You look like you've seen a ghost." I quipped.

Alice immediately paled, as she started to look around in confused fright at the mention of ghosts.

Luka ignored her, continuing to stare at me.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked in a befuddled tone.

"Eh, I can't mope around forever. Besides you saved my ass, I can't really complain." I shrugged.

At that, Alice turned back at me, her expression a mixture of confusion and guilt.

"I... You can't... You mustn't..." she stammered.

"Oh don't worry. I haven't forgiven you quite yet. You see... I need to think a long, long time about just what I'm going to do with you. I don't know, it might come to me, pff, in the middle of the night... Or maybe next week, or a few years from now. In the meantime... Why don't you worry about it?" I asked in a playful tone, a mad fox-like grin splitting my face.

Alice shivered, her eyes widening in fear as she hugged herself.

Luka's jaw dropped.

I laughed loudly at their comical reactions.

Thank you, Jeremiah Cross.

"Are you really alright?" Luka asked in a worried voice.

I was silent for a moment before replying.

"...Eh, I've been worse. I'd rather not dwell on it. Nothing irreparable happened, thanks to you. Seriously, thank you man. You're my Hero." I said, for once completely sincere, as I put my hands on his shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes with as much gratitude as I could.

Then I hugged him.

After a moment of hesitation, he hugged me back.

I ignored it as he started to sniff.

Alice looked away uncomfortably, before she squawked, as I suddenly dragged her into the group hug.

We spent about thirty seconds like that, before I broke the huddle.

"Well then. Shall we? Sentora awaits." I concluded, turning my back to my friends, and starting to walk away.

They both followed my lead soon after.

~– ~ – ~

As we stepped off the ship, and into port Natalia, Luka spoke out.

"I'm finally on the Sentora continent..." he said, with a voice full of emotion, wiping a last tear from his eye.

"Hmm... Unlike Iliasport, this place is quite lively." Alice commented, looking in interest at the different food stalls around us.

I was amused at her quick forgetfulness of my coming revenge.

"This is the main port for the Sentora continent, so even though they couldn't trade with the Ilias continent, it doesn't seem to have changed much." Luka explained.

We started walking around on the main street, Alice looking hungrily at the many shops lining the sides.

Almost immediately, I started to feel a bit overwhelmed by just how many people there were.

I had hardly ever been in such a crowded street before, and my new sense was having a hard time processing all of them, monsters and humans.

Finally, we came across a dark presence behind a counter.

"Ah! A Mermaid!?" Luka exclaimed, looking at the blonde woman with a fishtail instead of legs selling some sort of grilled seafood at her own small stall.

"Would you like some Mermaid-made grilled starfish?" she politely asked, as Luka started noticing the few more Mermaids that were around us.

"What does this mean...?" he asked in wonder.

"According to my new book, Port Natalia is a port town that has a lot of Mermaids. The town accepts Mermaids as residents." Alice explained, reading her new tome.

"But... your clothes look so ragged. Are you being enslaved by a bad man...?" Luka asked the stall owner in concern, looking at the scraps of fabric she was wearing.

"My clothes are ragged because I just can't make any money... If you feel sorry for me, please buy my grilled starfish!" the Mermaid demanded, as Luka scrambled for his money satchel.

I snickered at the scene.

~– ~ – ~

"...Anyway, this is a good town, isn't it? Humans and monsters are getting along..." Luka commented in a serene tone, after we started moving again.

"I agree." I simply replied, overlooking the sheer life around me.

I would do my best to make sure it stayed like this, if not better.

"By the way, where are we headed to now?" Alice asked.

"For now, we'll head towards the San Ilia castle to the west. The faith in Ilias is very strong there, so they'll surely give a warm welcome to a Hero." Luka declared.

"...Will they also welcome fake Heroes?" Alice inquired.

"I have the heart of a Hero!" Luka proudly declared, making me smile warmly.

"Hrm... I don't particularly want to go. The food seems bad too." Alice complained, before a Mermaid with grey hair and eyes approached us.

"Um... Excuse me... Mr. traveler... Could I speak to you for a moment?" she politely inquired, looking at Luka.

"Y... Yes, of course." Luka stammered in surprise, a small blush having risen on his face at the Mermaid's beauty.

"I noticed your sword, and couldn't help but think you weren't an ordinary person..." the Mermaid started, looking at Angel Halo.

"Yes... Seeing this I could see why someone would think I'm strange..." Luka said, looking at his grotesque sword as well.

I silently agreed with them both.

"Someone who wields such an extraordinary weapon... Would you be willing to listen to my story...?" the Mermaid pleaded.

However, the conversation never got any farther, as in the next moment my senses screamed at me to GET DOWN.

"DUCK!" I shouted in alarm, as I dove behind a wall, dragging Luka and the Mermaid with me.

A powerful crack rang out right after, followed by a rumbling sound.

"What the!? An explosion!?" Luka yelled in surprise.

"Kyaa!" the Mermaid shrieked, as the ground shook beneath us.

I immediately closed my eyes, looking for casualties with my aura sense.

How had I forgotten about this!?

Had I truly been that stupid!?

"What the!? What happened!?" Luka asked loudly, as he got back up.

"That building... Oh no, the Mermaid school!" the grey-haired Mermaid startled, looking at the half-collapsed building on the other side of the plaza, as a lot of other Mermaids started running towards it.

"What happened!?" someone yelled.

"Isn't that the Mermaid school? What happened!?" a woman's voice resounded.

"I smell gunpowder... It seems like it was a bomb..." Alice commented, sniffing the air.

"A bomb!?" Luka asked in disbelief, as I rushed in towards the lightly flickering signs of life.

"Daniel? What are you doing?" Luka asked me in confusion as I ran past him.

"What I can!" I simply yelled back.

"Right! I'm coming too!" he declared, before running after me.

We both joined the soldiers in helping the victims out of the damaged building.

I was able to do a lot more than I'd estimated, lifting heavier loads than ever before, thanks to my training under Alice.

For the first time, I was thankful for the effect her magic was having on me.

Even some soldiers were impressed at how big the piece of rubble I carried was.

Of course, I had no doubt Alice herself could lift a boulder ten times its size with a single hand, if not more.

"Thank goodness... It doesn't seem like too many were hurt." a Mermaid with long hair and glasses said.

"My tail got burnt..." a little Mermaid lamented.

Thankfully, though some were wounded, there were no fatalities, just like what I remembered from canon.

We left the soldiers to care for the wounded, as they thanked us for our assistance.

I only wished I could have remembered earlier.

I couldn't afford to get distracted like this again.

Thankfully, this time no one had died because of my forgetfulness.

I might not have been so lucky on the next one.

"You!" Luka suddenly yelled, looking at the filthy silhouette of a man disappearing into the crowd.

"...What's wrong, Luka? You're sweating a lot. Is that filthy man from before an acquaintance of yours?" Alice asked neutrally.

"Acquaintance... No. That guy probably doesn't recognize me... He was my father's closest friend..." Luka grimaced, tightening his fists in rage.

"...Let's continue on, Alice, Daniel. We don't have time to waste..." he concluded, looking towards the road.

"No, let's rest in the town for tonight. Are you not aware of how worked up you are?" Alice questioned.

"Eh...? I'm... I'm fine..." Luka weakly stammered, as his body shook, sweat pouring off his face.

"You idiot, don't say that when you look so horrible. Let's find a Hotel and rest for the night." Alice insisted.

"But..." Luka weakly protested, before letting Alice drag him to a local Inn.

I silently followed after them, mentally preparing myself for the conversation I knew would follow.

~– ~ – ~

"...Thanks Alice, Daniel. I'm feeling better already." Luka said, drinking some hot tea I had brewed on the room's stove.

I may have been crap at cooking, but even I could not fuck up boiling some water.

Though cooking anything on a stove was still a first for me...

"By the way, who was that filthy man? As soon as you saw him, your face got really pale." Alice inquired.

"He's one of the leaders of the fanatical Ilias Kreuz group... He might be the top leader at this point." Luka explained.

"Ilias Kreuz...? Just by the name, I already don't like it." Alice grimaced.

"They're horrible. They take a fanatical view of Ilias' teaching, and advocate the extermination of all monsters. 'Thou shalt not have intercourse with monsters.' They interpret that as meaning that you shouldn't have any contact at all. Don't talk to monsters, don't even look at them. In order for humans to not communicate with monsters at all, they decided to exterminate all of them. They're worthless fanatics." Luka spat out.

"I see... So you would be their enemy, with what you're trying to do. Coexistence is the opposite of their goals, after all." Alice concluded.

"They preach about wanting to eradicate all monsters. Not even just the ones on the roads attacking humans, but organizing and attacking monster settlements and towns. I can't allow something like that to happen..." Luka declared with a tinge of rage in his tone.

"I see... So they must have attacked the Mermaid school, then? Sheesh... Among the worthless humans were people even more worthless." Alice complained.

"Preaching to the choir here, sister." I dryly quipped.

"...But most people don't listen to them. Even back at Ilias Village, where the belief in Ilias' teachings is strong, they think Ilias Kreuz is too radical. They're just indiscriminately killing and destroying things." Luka disclaimed.

"So even among humans, they ostracize those guys. Being isolated and rejected probably drove them into even more of a frenzy... How worthless." Alice sighed.

"I only wish they could understand that their actions won't help them... Rejecting others because you are ostracized yourself only makes things more painful." I sighed.

I knew what I was talking about.

I had been through the same thing myself.

"Coexistence is going to be tough, with people like that among us..." Luka concluded dejectedly.

"...I see. But still I'm surprised. I thought you didn't understand the world at all. Just skipping through your life with your head full of sugar and rainbows." Alice commented in curiosity.

"How rude. I'm nor ignorant of the world." Luka said, before seemingly realizing something.

"No way... Do you think Ilias Kreuz had something to do with the Slaughter of Remina!?" he questioned loudly.

"You must be joking. Thousands of humans lived in Remina. How could a fanatical organization like that have enough strenght to massacre them all?" Alice scoffed.

"...That's true..." Luka thoughtfully acknowledged.

"By the way... I'm hungry." Alice suddenly stated, changing the argument.

I instantly remembered just what was supposed to happen that night.

"Well, I'll just be taking a walk then." I hastily declared.

"What? Where are you going?" Luka asked me.

"Somewhere less awkward. Like a couple city blocks away." I replied, before bolting towards the exit of the room.

"Eh? Uwa!" Luka startled, as I closed the door behind me, before quickly rushing out of the building.

I did NOT want a repeat of Iliasburg...


	19. Chapter 19: Singing and swimming

I finally stopped to catch my breath after my friends were outside of my range.

"Seriously Alice, could you not have waited for a minute after I was gone!?" I yelled out loud, despite the person herself being unable to hear me, my face still flushed.

Sometimes, I really hated this aura sense thing.

After I recovered my breath from the brief but desperate sprint, I looked around.

I was on the main street again, and there were fewer people than before, since it was now getting close to noon.

It had taken us a while to find a place to stay, and we had to let Luka rest for a while before our discussion.

So, I had about a few hours to spend by myself in a pretty nice port city.

There was no way I would even think of coming back before then...

I checked my money satchel.

There was still a decent amount in it, easily enough to buy myself some cheap stuff.

I was getting a bit hungry too, so, first things first, I purchased some foodstuffs at a few different stalls.

No grilled starfish though, I could swear I saw one of them twitch...

After that, I sat down to eat on top of a rock above the sea, a little detatched from the city's noise.

I had climbed up easily thanks to my enhanced body.

My hunger satisfied, I quietly watched the ocean for a while.

There were a few Mermaids around under the surface, but none of them bothered me.

I wasn't even sure they knew I was there.

Thinking about it, it had been a while since I last had time for myself like that...

It was fun being with Luka and Alice.

Their antics were entertaining, and I could tell that they cared about me.

But, I admit, I still missed being alone sometimes.

Really, the only thing that could have been better was if I still had my music... Yeah...

I had thought of leaving my phone and wallet behind, hiding them somewhere, but I just couldn't go through with it.

I had found many excuses, like the fact that, if someone had found them, that could have really bad consequences for me, especially if it ever got to Promestein, which was likely, given Ilias' extensive spy network.

Overall though, I guess there was still a part of me that wanted to hold on to that small fragment of my old life.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on one of the few songs that I had memorized.

It was also unique in the fact it was pretty much the only song I really liked in Italian, my first language.

I didn't even know if the language itself existed in this world.

I had only heard english until now, despite having journeyed from a continent to another.

Convenient, if a bit stale.

Then, with my eyes still closed, I started singing "Urlando contro il cielo" from Luciano Ligabue.

**"Come vedi sono qua**

**Monta su, non ci avranno**

**finché questo cuore non... creperà**

**Di ruggine, di botte o di età..."**

My voice started low, as I slowly lost myself in the lyrics.

**"C'è una notte tiepida**

**e un vecchio blues...**

**Da fare insieme**

**In qualche posto accosterò...**

**quella là... sarà la nostra casa, ma**

**Credo che meriti di più...**

**Ma intanto son qua io**

**E ti offro di ballarci su..."**

It rose ever higher, as my mind provided the musical accompaniment.

**"E' una canzone di cent'anni almeno...**

**Urlando contro il cielo"**

I was now almost screaming, desperately trying to keep in tune.

I lowered my tone again, as the second half started.

**"Non saremo delle star...**

**Ma siam noi, con questi giorni**

**fatti di ore andate per**

**Un weekend, e un futuro che non c'è**

**Non si può sempre perdere**

**Per cui giochiamoci**

**Certe luci non puoi spegnerle..."**

I raised my voice again in a crescendo, building up to the refrain.

**"Se e' un purgatorio e' nostro perlomeno...**

**Urlando contro il cielo"**

I strained to keep in tune again, before starting the final stretch with the same volume.

**"Fantasmi sulla A quattordici...**

**Dai finestrini passa odor di mare, diesel**

**o merda, morte e vita...**

**Il patto è stringerci di più,**

**Prima di perderci**

**Forse ci sentono lassù...**

**E' un po' come sputare via il veleno...**

**Urlando contro il cielo**

**Contro il cielo**

**Contro il cielo**

**Contro il cielo**

**Contro il cielo"**

I finished, eyes still closed, as I breathed hard, my throat dry.

I stumbled, and almost lost my waterskin, when I heard people clapping.

How the hell had I not noticed them gathering below me!?

I glanced down, finally seeing that a small crowd had formed, made up by both Mermaids and humans.

Of all times for my aura sense to finally fail me...

"Hey, that was pretty good!" one of them, a human man said.

"Yeah, sing some more!" a human woman agreed.

By this point, I was probably a shade of red closely resembling a ripe tomato.

"Come on, don't be shy! Mermaids love a man who can sing!" another man shouted, gesturing at a few Mermaids that, I swear, had little hearts in their eyes.

Their expression, however, was more on the hungry side than the lovestruck one in my opinion.

I ran at my fastest speed without looking back, the scenery blurring around me, ignoring the disappointed voices and leaving in the dust the few Mermaids who tried to follow me walking on their fins.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, I managed to lose all of them, now back on the main street.

I still had some time to kill, however, so after ditching my "adoring fans", I decided I would find an isolated place to take a swim.

Before that, however I bought myself some swimming trunks.

They were easy enough to find, though an isolated place wasn't.

I walked along the beach for a while before, finally, my aura sense didn't register any sentients within my range.

I took off my clothes, hiding them below a bush just in case, and slowly entered the fresh water.

I had always loved swimming.

My parents' house even had a small pool in the back, and I used to spend a lot of the hotter days in it, as I couldn't really use it most of the year because of its lack of a heating apparatus of any sort.

It wasn't a big one, definitely not olympic-sized, but I enjoyed the freedom of movement and the sensation of weightlessness anyway.

It was pretty much the only physical activity I ever liked doing.

I held my breath and dove under the waves, enjoying the sight of the local flora and fauna.

This world's technology had not come far enough to cause pollution yet, so the spectacle was something truly beautiful.

I hoped the presence of magic meant this would stay the same also, even as technology progressed.

I then started swimming in earnest, cutting through the water like a knife through butter.

I may have been unathletic, but even before coming to this world, I could proudly say I had never lost a swimming contest.

I exploded out of a wave, shooting a couple meters in the air, before falling back in the water with a splash.

I kept doing jumps and tricks, ever more high, ever more complex, laughing whenever I brushed against a fish, startling it into a rush I could follow.

I was pretty sure I had been a dolphin in a past life or something, I mean, that kind of speed was ridiculous, even for my magically enhanced body!

Regardless, I was having the time of my life...

So, obviously, something just HAD to go wrong.

Suddenly, a dark presence entered the edge of my perception.

Immediately after realizing who it was, I took a deep breath and started burning foam for the beach.

Unfortunately, she was going in the same direction, at a much faster speed than I was.

In only a few seconds, the monster spotted me through the clear waters.

The sea started raging around me, and I tried to cut through the currents instead of fighting them.

However, it just wasn't enough.

Before I could reach the safety of land, I found myself faced with a monster I knew to be the Queen Mermaid, the legendary Laura.

"You're quite slippery for a human." she commented, her voice ringing clear even under the waves.

I held my breath, knowing that it could have easily been my last.

"What are you doing in these waters? Are you not aware of whom this stretch of sea belongs to?" the Mermaid Queen inquired.

I pointed at my mouth, and then upwards to the surface.

"Fine. I'll allow you to breath in my presence. Humans are so fragile..." she generously conceded, before waving her arm upwards, a powerful current pushing us both to the water's surface.

After finally catching my breath, I started speaking.

"Thank you... As for your questions, I just came here to swim. I had no idea this place belonged to someone. I only reached this continent today." I explained in a calm tone despite my inner panic, as I desperately tried to think of a way to extricate myself from the sticky situation.

"Why did you run then, if you have nothing to hide?" the Mermaid Queen questioned doubtfully.

"I could feel your aura, and I was afraid you would attack me. I had to run from a few Mermaids today after they heard me sing." I automatically answered, my mind still failing to come up with a solution.

"A Mermaid attacked you after she heard you sing? Did you insult her with the lyrics or something? Or are you just that tone deaf? Humans are always the same..." Laura scoffed in a resigned voice.

Her next words made my blood freze in my veins.

"Well, now I'm curious. Sing for me." she ordered.

"I beg your pardon?" I politely said in a terrified tone.

"I want to hear just how bad your singing was to have a Mermaid attack you after hearing it. Sing." she repeated.

"...Can I refuse, please?" I weakly pleaded, my face already cramping up.

"No. You entered these waters without my permission, so I have the authority to punish you. Embarrassing you is a good start." she declared.

Well, shit.

"Can I at least sit on a rock or something? I can't sing while keeping myself afloat..." I reluctantly requested.

"Ugh, fine. Humans are so needy..." she acquiesced, before her current grabbed me and carried me to an isolated rock, disconnected from the landmass.

I took a deep breath, and tried to pick a good song.

Honestly, my mind was blank, except for a song that had been stuck in my head for the last half an hour.

Cringing at the ridiculous fact I was about to sing such a happy song to literally save my own life, and without any accompaniment, I started singing "Hawaiian rollercoaster ride" of all things.

**"Aloha e aloha e**

**'Ano 'ai ke aloha e**

**Aloha ae aloha e**

**A nu ay ki aloha e..."**

I started low again, my voice resounding above the waves, tapping on the rock I was sitting on to keep the rythm.

**"There's no place I'd rather be**

**Then on my surfboard out at sea**

**Lingering in the ocean blue**

**And If I had one wish come true**

**I'd surf till the sun sets**

**Beyond the horizon...**

**A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi**

**Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu**

**Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride..."**

I kept going, closing my eyes in concentration.

**"A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi**

**La we mai iko papa he na lu**

**Pi'i na nalu la lahalaha**

**O ka moana hanupanupa**

**Lalala i kala hanahana**

**Me ke kai hoene i ka pu'e one**

**Helehele mai kakou e**

**Hawaiian roller coaster ride**

**There's no place I'd rather be**

**Than on the seashore dry, wet free**

**On golden sand is where I lay**

**And if I only had my way**

**I'd play til the sun sets**

**Beyond the horizon**

**Lalala i kala hanahana**

**Me ke kai hoene i ka pu'e one**

**It's time to try the Hawaiian Roller coaster ride..."**

By this point I might have been smiling.

**"Hang loose, hang ten, howzit, shake a shaka**

**No worry, no fear, ain't no biggie braddah**

**Cuttin' in, cuttin' up, cuttin' back, cuttin' out**

**Frontside, backside, goofy footed, wipe out**

**Let's get jumpin', surf's up and pumpin'**

**Coastin' with the motion of the ocean**

**Whirlpools swirling, cascading, twirling**

**Hawaiian roller coaster ride..."**

I raised my voice higher, working my way to the familiar refrain.

**"There's no place I'd rather be**

**Then on my surfboard out at sea**

**Lingering in the ocean blue**

**And if I had one wish come true**

**I'd surf till the sun sets**

**Beyond the horizon**

**A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi**

**Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu**

**Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride..."**

I started preparing for the end of the song.

**"A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi**

**La we mai iko papa he na lu**

**Pi'i na nalu la lahalaha**

**O ka moana hanupanupa**

**Lalala i kala hanahana**

**Me ke kai hoene i ka pu'e one**

**Helehele mai kakou e**

**Hawaiian roller coaster ride..."**

Finally it was over.

As I opened my eyes, I found the Mermaid Queen staring at me.

Her expression was undecipherable as always, but... Was she angry?

"Uhm... Was it any good?" I timidly inquired, shrinking in my shoulders.

"Were you trying to make fun of me? What was that childish song? What did the lyrics even mean?" she questioned relentlessly.

"I was panicking, it's the first song that came to mind!" I fearfully countered.

"Whatever." she scoffed as she looked away with... Was that a tear or just seawater?

"Just go. You're pathetic, I don't even want to punish you anymore." she concluded, before diving back down, her aura rapidly retreating to the ocean depths.

"...What just happened?" I asked dumbly after a few more seconds of silence.

I blinked a couple more times in confusion, before automatically starting to swim my way back to the shore.

I dried myself with a towel, before putting my clothes back on, and starting to walk back to the hotel my friends were in.

My thoughts were looping to the last look on Laura's face the whole way...


	20. Chapter 20: Victory and pride

The day after, we left Port Natalia, heading west along the beach.

"So you said we were heading to San Ilia?" Alice questioned.

"Yes... It's about a three day walk to the west of Port Natalia. I want to ask the King about the path of a Hero..." Luka confirmed.

"Hrm... How stupid." Alice scoffed, right before two presences entered the edge of my perception.

"Kyaaa!" one of them screamed, as she was chased by the other.

Luka immediately sprang into action, as I hid behind a rock, Alice having disappeared from sight at the first sign of conflict.

"Ahh! Get away from me!" a young woman wearing what appeared to be a long white dress yelled, as she ran from a monster whose lower half looked like a sea cucumber.

"I'm hungry... Even someone like you is fine, let me suck out your energy..." the Sea Cucumber Girl said in a hungry tone.

"Stop!" the young woman being chased yelled, before she stumbled, falling to the ground.

Right before the Sea Cucumber Girl got to her however...

"Get away from her!" Luka shouted out loud, interposing himself between the two.

"Who are you!?" the chased girl said, as she got back up.

"Leave this to me, please hurry and run away!" Luka shouted over his shoulder at the young woman behind him.

"O... Ok!" the girl yelled before running away. The Sea Cucumber Girl did not give chase, her attention having shifted to Luka instead.

"You look delicious... I'll hold you in my mouth and squeeze out all of your semen..." The monster said in a ravenous tone.

"Like hell you will!" Luka shouted as he took his stance.

He quickly rushed in with a Thunder Thrust, inflicting good damage on his opponent.

The Sea Cucumber's lower mouth opened and started oozing something, as she prepared to assault Luka.

"Just wait a moment, I'll get ready to squeeze everything out of you... Warm and full of amazing juices... It will feel amazing." she said, as Luka slashed her again, before trying to open some distance.

However, the sea cucumber girl demonstrated a speed none of us expected, shooting towards Luka, and shoving his legs inside of herself.

"Now... Come in..." she invited, as her tentacles started dragging him inside.

"Gah! What is this!?" Luka yelled, as he was quickly swallowed legs-first.

"My mouth is amazing, isn't it? Licking and squeezing, I'll suck everything out of you..." the monster said seductively, as Luka started struggling inside her.

"I'll take away your power to resist... I'll force you to surrender to the ecstasy..." the Sea Cucumber Girl declared, as Luka's energy fell into disarray under her full-body stimulation.

"Aaa..." he moaned, as his eyes glazed over.

"Stay entranced in ecstasy like that... I'll take care of everything... I'll force pleasure into you... Let it out just like this... I'll cover you..." the sea cucumber girl lulled, as she started massaging Luka's whole body, oozing more and more bodily fluids onto him.

Suddenly, Luka's energy returned to normal, and he started struggling again.

"It's pointless to struggle... I'll suck everything out. How do you like the tongues inside of me?" the sea cucumber continued taunting, before Luka finally managed to emerge from her body, a trail of liquid left behind him.

"Impossible... You broke free?" the sea cucumber girl said in disbelief, as the young Hero slashed at her again, finishing the fight with a Demon Decapitation.

"To a human... No way..." the Sea Cucumber Girl stammered, as her body dissolved into a normal sea cucumber.

"Fu... Alice, I think I did pretty good there..." Luka sighed in relief, before seeing who he was talking to, as the young woman he had helped approached him from behind.

"Umm... Thank you so much!" the woman spoke in a grateful tone.

"Don't mention it..." Luka said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"...I'm so happy to meet someone like you." the woman continued, her voice becoming more seductive.

"Th... thank you for your kind words..." Luka stammered at the girl's forward tone.

"Umm... Would you... Please be my husband? I want to have your baby..." the woman suddenly proposed.

"Ehhhhh!? suddenly saying something like that..." Luka yelled in surprise, taken aback at the woman's sudden bluntness.

"Then I'm no good, master?" the woman said in a heartbroken tone.

"Er... I'm not your master. Suddenly proposing marriage like that..." Luka said in an uncomfortable tone.

"Then live with me for a while. Isn't that a good idea, master?" the girl sang excitedly.

"Eh...?" Luka dumbly let out, as the monster revealed its true form, her skirt curling upwards ant turning into a giant shell.

"Let's spend some time together in my shell... I'll fully satisfy you, Darling. The two of us can live together forever!" she said in a dreamy tone.

"I can't do that!" Luka denied.

"Why not? Is it because I'm a monster...?" the girl asked in a sad tone.

"No... You're just... Way too forceful..." Luka stammered, as a tentacle shot towards him.

He countered it with a Thunder Thrust, before slashing at the monster.

"Fufu... I want to show my darling heaven." the Shellfish Girl said happily, as her shell closed on top of Luka.

"I'll service my darling like this... I'll make your penis feel amazing..." she seductively said, taking off Luka's pants inside her shell.

Luka immediately started wriggling to get free.

"I need to make you come before it's too late... Geez... stop struggling... rub, rub, rub... how is it darling?" she said as she gripped Luka's member tightly.

"Ohh..." Luka grimaced in pleasure.

"Does it feel good? Why don't you just give in and become my husband?" the shellfish girl proposed happily.

"Grr...!" Luka growled, as he managed to escape the love prison.

"Why did you run away, Darling...?" the monster said in a disappointed tone, before Luka finished her with a last stab.

"Ahhh!" the Shellfish Girl shrieked, as her body dissolved into a tiny shell.

Luka was silent, looking uncomfortably at the two sealed monsters.

"What an annoyingly forceful monster. A monster like that only ruins our reputation. Your new appearance looks a little painful but... I hope you change your ways next time." Alice concluded, before digging a hole in the sand and placing the two monsters in it.

"For the record, it's fine to fall in love quickly, but you must also understand that, if you want it to succeed, you need to consider your partner's feelings too. These things take time." I lectured, as Alice buried the two under the sand.

"Oi, oi... Why did you bury the cucumber too?" Luka pointed out.

"She won't die. I just want to punish her a bit." Alice scoffed.

"...Let's hurry on. We should almost be to the road that will take us to San Ilia." Luka declared after a moment of silence.

"Why are you in such a hurry to meet some suspicious King? You're quite an idiot." Alice insulted.

"Why are you doubting the King... He's a great person. We can't say anything like that if we want to meet him..." Luka lamented.

"I'm a million times greater than some suspicious guy like that. Idiot." Alice declared, before we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

That night, as I started training, Alice approached me.

"I will teach you something more advanced from now on." she declared.

"I don't really think I need to..." I started.

"This is not enough for you to protect yourself. Recent events have proven that. I should have done this earlier. You have been ready for it since a few days ago. I won't accept a no for an answer." Alice interrupted.

"...Fine, but can I make a request?" I acquiesced.

"...It depends. Let's hear it." she conceded.

"I want to learn unarmed martial arts, not sword techniques. Can you teach me?" I inquired.

I had thought about using weapons, but I keenly remembered a phrase I had heard before.

A weapon you cannot use, is a weapon for your enemy.

I had no hope of catching up to Luka's absurd talent, and I felt my enhanced strenght would fit an unarmed fighting style better.

The fact It was harder to kill an opponent barehanded was just an added bonus.

"I see... Very well, I shall teach you how to fight with your body as a weapon. Don't expect me to go easy on you." Alice warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I assured.

Thus, I started learning from Alice again.

True to her words, even my seemingly unlimited endurance was strained that night.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, we moved on, no longer able to smell the sea in the air as we continued moving on inland.

Just when we could barely make out a city on the horizon...

"Heads up. Contact ahead." I warned, as a presence entered my range, rushing towards us.

Alice disappeared, as Luka started looking around.

This time, however, I didn't plan on just watching, even as I hid behind a tree.

Finally the monster showed herself in front of us.

She looked a bit similar to Alice, in the fact that she was a woman with a snake tail instead of legs, but her skin was like that of a normal human instead of pale blue, Her tail green instead of red, and her hair blonde.

"Oh... An unbaptized traveler. How rare. I'll coil around you... Slowly squeezing the life out of you, I'll torment you..." the Lamia said in a hungry tone, her body swaying left and right hypnotically.

"Guh!" Luka grimaced, as he took his stance.

He started the fight with his usual Thunder Thrust, as the monster's tail shot towards his pants.

"I'll tease your penis..." she said, as she rubbed her tailtip on Luka's crotch.

Luka slashed at it, but the Lamia was quick.

"I'll wrap tightly around you..." she said, as she coiled around Luka's body, restraining him.

"Fufu... is this what you wanted? Having me wind around you... Be happy... I'm going to squeeze everything out of you now." she gloated, sure of her victory, as she started lowering Luka's pants.

Now was the time.

I stepped out of hiding, my steps silently gliding over the ground, without ever leaving it completely.

Alice had called this type of footwork "Shadow-Weaving Steps", a stealth technique utilized by monster assassins in the past.

She had recounted that the name had originated by the fact the user's shadow would weave a pattern on the ground, gliding on the battlefield like a needle through tapestry.

It suited me perfectly, and I had mostly gotten the gist of it after the grueling training the night before.

I soundlessly approached the monster's unprotected side, before slamming my fist against her soft human flank.

"Kyaa! Where did you come from!?" she recoiled in pain, rubbing her side with one hand, her grip on Luka loosening enough for him to get free right away, as he looked at me in shock.

"Daniel, what are you doing!?" he questioned in disbelief.

"I can't just let you get all the experience all the time! I have to get stronger too!" I answered, as I stood by his side, my arms in a defensive stance, looking at our opponent.

Even though my heart beat loudly in my chest, I did not back down, not this time.

The Lamia quickly recovered from the unexpected blow, looking at me angrily.

"I will make you suffer for that!" she yelled as her tail shot towards me, trying to coil around my body.

I barely managed to duck under it, as Luka jumped towards her, slashing her throat with his sword.

"Got you!" the monster exclaimed, using her tail's weight to launch herself towards me.

I couldn't dodge in time, suffering a powerful tackle from her upper body, my arms pinned down to my side by her own.

"Now, time to get your friend!" she yelled as she turned to Luka, shooting her tail towards him.

"Uoooooh!" I yellled loudly, as I used all of my strenght to pry her arms open, freeing myself from her grasp.

"What?" the Lamia dumbly let out, before I landed a double palm strike on her exposed belly, fingers tucked in.

The blow was satisfactory, and helped me make some distance, as Luka slashed her again using her distraction.

"Enough!" she shouted, before coiling her tail around Luka once more.

"Now stay there and don't move, or I crush your friend!" she threatened.

I looked at her unimpressed for a moment, as Luka struggled fiercely in her grasp.

Seeing that she couldn't hold him for too long, the Lamia launched herself towards me again.

I could tell she was planning to end the fight as quickly as possible.

So I decided to do the exact opposite.

I closed my eyes and concentrated only on my aura sense and touch, the world becoming a silent space in which only my body and magic existed.

I sensed her energy drawing closer, and sidestepped her wild charge, after which she recovered and threw a flurry of blows towards me.

I weaved through her swings, deflecting some with my hands, moving like a leaf in the wind, my feet never leaving the ground.

Finally, Luka managed to free himself, running down the lenght of her body and stabbing her in the back, ending my first real fight.

"No way... How could I... lose?" the Lamia stammered in disbelief, as her body turned into a small snake.

"That might leave a bruise... Ow..." I complained, as I rubbed my chest where the Lamia's tackle had impacted me.

"What were you thinking!? I would have won that fight, there was no need for you to intervene! You could have gotten killed!" Luka lambasted me.

"I told, you, I can't let you have all of the fighing experience by yourself, I need to become stronger too. Though you can rest assured I won't be jumping in like that again for a while... Ow." I lamely finished, rubbing my aching chest.

"Even so, closing your eyes like that was just pushing it! What were you even doing!?" Luka angrily demanded.

"Y...You! Where did you learn that technique!?" Alice questioned in disbelief, looking at me in shock, as she reappeared in front of us.

"What? You taught me this footwork yesterday!" I exclaimed incredulously.

"I'm not talking about that! When did you achieve a Serene Mind!? Using that in your first real fight is unheard of! Even Granberia had to learn it afterwards!" Alice yelled angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just closed my eyes to focus on her aura. I could predict her movements more easily like that." I explained.

Of course, I had feigned ignorance about the technique itself.

But I hadn't lied completely.

Even I found ridiculous the idea of me achieving a true Serene Mind...

Alice just looked at me like I was some sort of weird monster.

The irony was not lost on me.

"Just how good are your senses!? This doesn't even make any sense! I give up! Let's just move on!" she declared, before starting to slither away.

Luka and I looked at each other in confusion, before we followed after her.

I felt pride at my first victory in this world.


	21. Chapter 21: Theorising and hiding

As we walked the last stretch to our destination, I mentally reviewed my own performance in the last encounter.

I had honestly done better than I myself had expected.

However there were also a few issues.

Firstly, I had held back on my first strike, not expecting the Lamia to be quite that durable in her human parts.

I had also aimed at a spot I knew I couldn't cause crippling permanent damage to, however, so maybe the result could have been different if I had hit a weak spot.

Overall, I still needed to get a hang of my new and improved body.

Thankfully, I was strong enough to free myself from her human arms, but the Lamia still had surprised me with her nimble maneuvers.

I had managed to dodge being caught by her tail though, so at least that was good.

I wasn't sure I could have gotten myself free from that...

Finally, I should have been in my pseudo Serene Mind state from the start.

If I were, I would most likely have been able to predict her tackle, avoiding the, although slight, injury I had suffered.

This part was purely speculation, however.

Overall, I knew I still needed more training and experience.

I really hoped I would not have to fight again before Alice managed to beat me into shape a bit more.

As a first test, I was nonetheless satisfied.

~– ~ – ~

We finally reached the city gates.

Standing in front of them were a lot of people with unique-looking weapons and armor.

Some guards were ushering them in, as one of them called out to us.

"Are you also hoping for an audience with the King? Please sign your name on this application form." the soldier said, in a voice that seemed quite accustomed to the words.

"Ok..." Luka said, as he wrote down his name and hometown, before handing back the piece of paper to the guard.

"What about you? Are you also here to speak to the King?" the guard's colleague asked me.

"No, no, I'm not a Hero. Just a traveler." I disclaimed.

"The King wants to meet all the brave Heroes... But since there are so many, it will take some time." the first guard explained.

"It may take around three days, so please spend some time in the castle." the other offered.

"It takes that long..." luka said dejectedly.

"You may explore the castle as you wish, but some areas are restricted. You may also sleep for free, so please enjoy your time in San Ilia." the first guard kindly provided.

"Thank you! Let's go, Alice, Daniel." Luka politely thanked the guards, as we entered the gates proper.

Alice was silent, looking bored all the way.

~– ~ – ~

The architecture of the castle was admittedly quite impressive, the religious artwork meticuolously detailed.

"This is amazing..." Luka commented, as he stood in front of a giant statue of Ilias.

I could feel the Goddess herself's gaze through the magic window above us still.

"This is the famous Magnificent Ilias Goddess Statue. This statue is much more amazing than anything back at Ilias temple..." Luka spoke in awe.

I had to admit, she did look beautiful, even in stone form.

Her long hair fell on her beautifully proportioned body, angelic wings coming out of her back.

Shame about her personality though...

I looked away from the artwork, sighing softly in pity.

"Is that so." Alice deadpanned.

"The great Ilias created the first man and woman... To lead them, she bestowed upon them this magnificent statue. For thousands of years, this statue has guided the hearts of humans." Luka explained.

"Hrm." Alice grunted, already exasperated.

"By the way, did you notice that everyone is careful when walking around to not point their sword at the statue? Do you know why?" Luka quizzed.

I did in fact know, I just didn't care.

My dagger was on my leg pointing down anyway.

"How would I know." Alice said.

"It's because one of the five commandments is 'Point our sword at the Goddess and thou shalt cry'. I've been careful not to let my sword point at the statue as I walk around." Luka elaborated, glancing at his sword, its tip aimed downwards.

"...How stupid. Since I hate this stupid thing, can I destroy it?" Alice asked in annoyance.

"What are you saying!? Weren't you listening to what I just said!?" Luka yelled in panic.

"...Of course I heard it, you idiot. Don't point your sword at the Goddess? Making sure you slaves don't become hostile to your owner. You idiots apply it even to this stupid statue of her." Alice repeated.

"Err... Well..." Luka stammered.

"Alice, I know this is not a good place for you, but I'm sure we can find something for you to do. Preferrably something that doesn't involve getting us thrown out by a bunch of angry guards." I pleaded.

"Yeah, let's spend some time relaxing. They said it will take three days before we can meet the King." Luka agreed.

"Three days in this place... Urg, I think I might die of boredom. Oho... Is this your plan? Unable to defeat me in a normal fight, you brought me here to slowly torture me to death in boredom? How cunning..." Alice commented in an impressed tone.

I snorted at that, amused by her ridiculous conjecture.

"Don't say that. Let's just explore the castle some. You know... There's sure to be something interesting happening." Luka encouraged.

"Why are you so annoyingly energetic..." Alice complained, as we walked around the massive castle.

~– ~ – ~

I had been in a couple castles before, but never one quite so lively.

I mean, here people actually lived in it.

And everything was luxurious enough to make me nervous...

Along the way we talked up a scholar carrying a few books.

"The large basement library has the largest collection of books in the world. So, it's not an exaggeration to say it contains the world's knowledge. Scholars that seek that knowledge travel from all over the world to study here. As for me, I'm researching sacred energy." the scholar explained.

Huh.

I had forgotten about that last detail.

I wondered...

"The largest library in the world... Wow... Alice, do you want to take a look?" Luka asked.

"I can't eat books..." Alice lamented in boredom.

"Unfortunately, you need permission before you can enter the library. It contains so many valuable books, that you need to be properly vetted. It took me a week to get permission." the scholar claimed.

"It takes that long...?" Luka trailed off, looking crestfallen, before he started walking away with Alice.

I watched them go, Ilias' scrying spell following Luka, before speaking up again.

"So, what have you found in your research so far?" I inquired to the scholar.

"I doubt an uninitiated like you would understand even if I explained." the scholar scoffed.

"I might surprise you." I simply said, sitting down at a nearby table.

The scholar sighed tiredly, sitting down as well, before exposing his results.

"Well, most texts speak of Holy energy as something that originated from Ilias herself, the force she used to create humanity as it is. Angels are beings composed entirely of holy energy, and as such, mortals cannot touch them without their permission. So, my current theory is that Holy energy responds to a creature's will. Most of the greatest Heroes of the past also reported that their holy energy granted by the Goddess was enhanced by their own willpower too, in moments of intense emotions." the scholar started.

"I see... It does make sense. But what can holy energy actually do, strictly speaking?" I inquired.

"Ilias shaped the world with it obviously. and performed all kinds of miracles through its use. She used it to create the angels, and to defeat her enemies in the war 1000 years ago. and even before that, the uses of holy magic appear to be infinite." the scholar answered.

"So, it's an energy that responds to your willpower to achieve anything you can imagine?" I asked.

"Sounds about right." he said.

"Hmm..." I voiced out, as I considered the scholar's words and my own experiences.

Back when I was in Ilias' presence, I had felt her Light energy for myself.

I distinctly remembered the sensation of a part of me I could not comprehend the physical location of being filled to the brim with something, and how it felt strengthened.

I considered this new information together with it, and my thoughts ran to the effect Dark magic was having on me instead.

Suddenly, I had an epiphany.

"What if Holy energy is not physical, but mental or spiritual in nature?" I posited.

The scholar looked at me in confusion for a moment, before his eyes widened in shock and understanding.

"Of course! That makes perfect sense! If Holy energy responds to willpower, enacting changes upon reality in any way that can be imagined, there's reason to assume it could be related to a being's mind! Angels are untouchable because they ARE beings made of pure thought! I have to research this!" the scholar yelled, before sprinting away.

I was a bit off-put by his sudden excitement, but I recovered soon after.

So, if my theory was correct, did this mean that what was being strenghtened by Light energy had been my mind the whole time?

How did that work, biologically speaking?

Was it enhancing my speed of thought somehow?

Maybe through changes to my bioelectricity?

No, that didn't make sense...

My mind then turned to a different theory.

One that involved an assumption everyone I ever knew, myself included, thought of as fact, actually being wrong.

But it was crazy enough to make sense.

Thers was this game I had played.

It was this weird puzzle game called '999 9 hours, 9 persons, 9 doors'.

The story behind it was based on a little-known field of parapsychology called morphic resonance.

The details of it were unimportant, as it was widely unaccepted, and frankly I agreed that the idea was a bit unrealistic as well, but there was one character in the game that had talked about the human mind, making an interesting comparison.

Suppose you were to place a computer monitor in front of a person, complete with mouse and keyboard, but the main tower, where all the processing happens, is hidden.

Now, this person doesn't know what a computer is and how it works, but he is able to learn how to use it by experimenting with mouse and keyboard.

However, they would always make one incorrect assumption.

Since they cannot see the tower, they assume it doesn't exist, and therefore they assume the monitor is the one doing the processing.

"What if you were to apply this concept to a human brain?" the character had asked.

What if, humans as a whole had always assumed after studying the brain, that it was, indeed, the central processing unit of our consciousness, and therefore always missed the existence of a 'hidden tower'?

And if it was so, what was the 'hidden tower'?

If this theory was correct, the implications were huge.

Did souls exist?

I had skimmed over the fact before, but I already knew ghosts were real in this world.

Is that what they were?

Semi-physical manifestations of a deceased being's mind?

Possibly fueled by Light energy?

Ilias might not have created humans, but she did help them evolve in the way she desired over the course of time.

Did that mean every human had some measure of Light energy infused in their soul?

I remembered how Heinrich's soul had been briefly released in the third chapter of Monster Girl Quest, and how he then proceeded to burn himself out, consuming his soul into nothingness, killing angels left and right.

Had he used up all the energy that allowed him to manifest his mind?

Did this mean my soul itself had been strenghtened by Light magic?

I did feel like I remembered things more easily recently...

I had to look into this.

"Hey! Daniel! Why did you leave without saying a word?" Luka suddenly asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, as he walked closer.

"Sorry, I had something I wanted to know from that scholar. I was curious." I answered as I got up and joined them in exploring the rest of the castle.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, Luka spoke up.

"Shall we take a short rest now?" he proposed.

I was about to agree, when someone called out to us.

"Hey, is Mr. Luka here? A Luka that applied to have an audience with the King?" a guard with a red ornament said, looking at us.

"Yes... I'm Luka." Luka timidly replied.

"Hmmm... So it's you? The King will meet you right away." the guard declared.

"Eh? What's going on here...?" Luka asked in confusion, as he was pushed by the guard into the audience hall.

Alice and I followed him, a sour expression on her face.

"At least we won't have to stay here for three more days." I pointed out, lifting her mood slightly.

The King of San Ilia was sitting on the throne, wearing his pope-like garments over his old body.

A meek, gentle look was on his face as he looked over us, though he seemed slightly restless in his behavior.

"I've brought him, King." the decorated guard respectfully spoke.

"Thank you, you're dismissed. I shall have a private talk with him." the King declared.

"Of course." the guard complied, as he left the room, leaving only the four of us.

"Traveler that calls himself Luka... I wish to ask you a question." the King started.

"Eh? Of course..." Luka timidly replied.

"You... Are not baptized, are you?" the King inquired.

"Guh!...That's right. I'm not baptized...I'm sorry!" Luka painfully admitted, as the King's eyes widened.

"Oh! So it really is just as Ilias revealed to me in a dream!" the King said in awe.

"Eh? Eh...?" Luka exclaimed twice in befuddlement.

"Last night, Ilias came to me in a dream. With her beautiful hair, and pure face. Her angelic appearance was like a breath of..." the King started recounting in an excited tone.

"...That part doesn't matter, why don't you get to something important." Alice rudely interrupted.

"Oi! Alice! Watch what you say to the King!" Luka chastised her.

"...Anyway, so Ilias gave me a revelation. An unbaptized person named Luka would come before me. And this unbaptized Hero will be the one to defeat the Monster Lord." the King concluded.

"I... Will?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Now, I shall indicate the path you should take! There are three wise men on this continent. You need to demonstrate your power to all three, and receive their blessings. I shall bestow this only to the one who receives all three blessings." the King declared, motioning to a gaudy-looking sword next to his throne.

I could feel a slight Light energy coursing through it, but it was nothing compared to Angel Halo.

"The sword of a true Hero... The Goddess sword! If you wield this sword, it's said all monsters, even the Monster Lord herself, will bow down to you." the King explained.

Alice looked unimpressed, however.

"Now, begin your quest to get proof from the wise men! Then I shall bestow this sword upon you." the King concluded.

"What a stupid quest." Alice scoffed, as she slowly walked toward the sword.

"Alice! What are you doing!?" Luka yelled, as Alice grabbed the blade's hilt.

"...Fah!" the Monster Lord shouted, as the Goddess sword shattered under her dark power.

"How can this be!?" the King asked in disbelief, his voice aghast.

"Alice!?" Luka yelled with wide eyes.

I cringed lightly, looking toward the entrance.

"It's as you can see, Luka. With crap like that, you wouldn't even be able to put a scratch on anyone. Three wise men? Proof of your power? What a load of crap from this old man." Alice harshly spat.

"...Ooo..." the King lamented, as he slumped onto the throne, his expression twitching as he stared at the ceiling with unfocused eyes.

"I'll show you the Hero's way instead of this worthless King. Go to the four spirits and ask for their blessing." Alice declared.

"Four spirits...?" Luka questioned.

"Salamander, Sylph, Undine, and Gnome. They should be somewhere on this continent. Locate them and ask for their blessing." Alice elaborated.

"...What happens when I ask for their blessing?" Luka inquired.

"You'll gain a mighty power from each of them." Alice replied.

"...Really...? More importantly, why would you show me the Hero's way?" Luka questioned.

"Then, are you going to do what this worthless King said? Even if you go to all three of those wise men or whatever, the Goddess sword is already shattered." Alice smugly pointed out.

"Err... Ok. I believe you." Luka acquiesced, as the King started laughing in a deranged voice.

"Fuaahaahoha! Oooo Ilias. Look at what happened! Fufuhaha!" the King said in delirium.

"Hey... Did you break?" Alice asked him.

"I think we're lucky he didn't have a heart attack..." I grimaced, as guards started pouring in through the door.

"My lord! What happened to you!? What happened here! Oh my god, the Goddess sword! It's shattered! Luka! What the hell happened here!?" the decorated guard yelled, after running to the King's side.

"Err... This is... Uhm... The Monster Lord suddenly appeared and shattered the sword." Luka stammered, looking nervous.

"The Monster Lord did!? Indeed, no other being would be able to destroy that sword... We need to increase the castle's defences right away!" the guard declared, before starting to bark orders left and right.

Me and my comrades quickly left the audience hall in the chaos.

~– ~ – ~

"The Monster Lord is attacking! She attacked the King and then ran ayay!" a guard said to his comrades.

"Oh no! Is the King safe?" another inquired.

"He doesn't seem to be injured, but he suffered quite a shock." another replied.

"Is it true that the Goddess sword was destroyed!?" another questioned in disbelief.

"Alice... did you really have to do that? Because of shattering that sword, I think you broke the King..." Luka lamented, as guards ran around chaotically inside the castle.

"Hrm. He was speaking such jibberish that I had to wake him up." Alice declared with a calm face.

Suddenly, a familiar presence entered my range, my blood freezing in my veins, despite the heat my mind was already feeling.

"But isn't it too quiet...? It seems like the monster lord broke in... but there's no trace of her." a guard commented.

"Maybe it was a false report? We need to gather everyone involved and get a better grasp on the situation." another declared.

However, by that point, I was already moving.

I sprang into action, running into a nearby room, opening a random closet, and shutting myself in it, my previous resolve evaporating in sheer existential terror, as I desperately tried to control my breathing.

"Daniel? What are you doing?" I could hear Luka's muffled voice, before an explosion rang out ahead of him, as the aura I had felt got closer and closer.

"A monster is attacking!" a guard yelled.

"So she is here! It looks like the Monster Lord's attack wasn't a false report after all!" another commented, taking up arms.

"No! It isn't the Monster Lord! It's one of the four Heavenly Knights, Granberia!" another guard's voice said, before a dull thud resounded.

"What happened!? Gah..." another guard questioned, before slumping to the ground unconscious.

"No way...! Granberia! What are you doing here!?" Luka demanded, as the presence finally reached him, before pulling out his sword.

Granberia's answer, however, was different from what I expected, and my blood ran cold once more as I heard it.

"Where is he?" her muffled voice inquired.


	22. Chapter 22: Forgive and forget

"What? What are you talking about?" Luka's voice asked in confusion, muffled by the doors of the closet I was in.

I could make out every detail of his surroundings thanks to my aura sense.

And the reason I was hiding was right in front of him.

"The other human that travels with you. Where is he?" Granberia's voice inquired, as she looked around.

I desperately tried not to make a sound, even as my body shivered incontrollably.

Immediately, Luka took a fighting stance.

"What do you want from him!? I won't let you hurt him!" Luka resolutely yelled.

"I'm not here to harm him. Stand aside." Granberia declared.

Huh?

"I don't believe you! I won't let you see him!" Luka shouted, charging forward, sword in hand, poised for a Thunder Thrust.

"Ohhh... Thunder Thrust? You've improved..." Granberia commented in an interested tone, even as she parried the blow.

"I'll assist you, Hero!" a castle guard said, as he jumped into the fight.

"Don't interfere!" Granberia ordered, as she smashed the guard with the flat of her blade, making him scream in pain before falling unconscious.

"Haa!" Luka yelled, as he unleashed a Demon Decapitation on his opponent.

"I see... the same attack as last time. But it's a lot more powerful this time. I can see you've been training quite a lot. I suppose I'll accompany you for a brief match. You'll guide me to your friend afterward." Granberia conceded, crossing swords with Luka again.

"We must assist the Hero!" another guard yelled, as he and his comrade rushed towards the Dragon-kin swordswoman.

"I commend your courage... But!" Granberia started, before cleaving the rushing guards in a single swipe, sending them both flying.

"...You need to have the ability to match that courage." she coolly finished.

"Cutting two people with one slash..." a guard said in awe.

"What strenght..." another grimaced, before they all retreated to ask for backup.

"It doesn't seem like we'll get any more disturbances. Now, Luka! Show me everything you've got!" Granberia requested, her aura flaring.

Luka let out a war cry himself, before rushing up a wall.

"How's this!? Demon Skull Beheading!" he yelled as he dropped down on his opponent.

Granberia blocked the technique with her greatsword once again.

"Demon Skull Beheading... So you've made that technique your own as well... I see... You've shown me your skills. However immature you are, there certainly is amazing potential... Interesting. But this fight is over." the monster declared, as she pushed back my friend with her blade, slamming him into the wall.

"I.. Won't... Lose..." Luka ground out, as he got back up, trembling slightly.

"Enough. I am not going to harm your friend. I just need to talk to him." Granberia said, as she sheathed her sword.

"Why should I believe you!? Do you have any idea what Alma Elma did to him!?" Luka furiously questioned, gripping his sword tighter.

Granberia's next words made my eyes widen, and my jaw drop.

"...Alma Elma hasn't left her room in days. I am here because I need your friend to talk to her." the Dragon-kin ground out, as if she was spitting venom.

"...Haaaaaah!?" Luka exclaimed in utter shock, his expression absolutely dumbfounded.

I completely understood the sentiment.

"What the hell!?" I demanded, as I threw open the doors of the closet, making Granberia startle, my astonishment having taken precedence over my previous fear.

"Gah! Where did you come from!?" Granberia yelped, as she instinctively took a step back with a hand on her greatsword.

"Gah!" I parroted, closing back the shutters.

After a moment of awkward silence, Granberia's voice spoke out again.

"...Come out." she calmly requested.

"...Ok..." I weakly acquiesced, before slooowly exiting the closet.

Granberia looked at me in a daze for a few seconds, blinking a couple of times.

"...You lost weight." she finally commented, gazing at my whole body.

"...What did you say about Alma Elma being a shut-in?" I timidly inquired, changing the argument.

Granberia took a deep breath, finally tearing her eyes off of me.

"I don't know where to even start... I've never seen her like that. She hasn't gone out of her room since the day she told me she met you, and she hasn't eaten anything. I just don't know what to do... You're the reason she's like that, you need to fix her!" she finished with a loud cry, her expression uncomfortable and enraged.

I just stared at her, mouth agape, completely flabbergasted.

"She hasn't eaten in days and you want to send a man to talk to her? Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be?" Alice questioned.

"She hasn't touched any of the men the other Succubi brought in! She's going to starve at this rate!" Granberia countered in a fearful tone, afraid of her Lord's possible refusal.

Meanwhile, I couldn't wrap my head around her words.

Alma Elma had refused to touch a man for days?

That didn't make any sense!

"I won't let you take him! You can't bring him back to her!" Luka desperately yelled.

"I'm not going to let my friend die in front of me!" Granberia exclaimed, turning towards Luka, growing ever more desperate.

Wait...

Alma Elma... Dying?

That couldn't happen.

The world needed her to survive.

"Let's go. Hurry." I demanded resolutely.

"What...?" Granberia said in confusion.

"What?" Alice parroted in astonishment.

"What!?" Luka yelled in rage and disbelief.

"Take me to her. Now." I ordered, looking Granberia right in the eyes.

"Are you certain?" Alice inquired in a slightly worried tone.

"Yes." I immediately replied, not allowing myself to question my own decision.

"What are you thinking!? Don't you remember what she did to you!?" Luka asked in a furious tone, before I turned to him, and his eyes widened at my steely expression.

"I do remember. But at this rate she will die. I won't let that happen. I'll meet you guys back in town after I'm done. Wait for me there after you're finished here." I declared.

"Y...You..." Granberia stammered.

"Hurry, before more guards come. Bring me to her." I urged, looking her right in the eyes.

"...Alright. Lord Alice..." Granberia started.

"Say no more. Go." Alice swiftly dismissed her servant.

"By your will." Granberia respectfully answered, before opening a portal for the Monster Lord's castle.

We both we went through it, leaving Luka and Alice behind in the castle.

~– ~ – ~

The room we stepped in had a few magic circles on the ground, and a couple of monsters were standing guard at the entrance.

"Step aside." Granberia ordered, and they obliged.

I moved after her through the castle's corridors, ignoring the stares I was getting from the residents.

As we walked, I pondered more on just what the hell I was doing.

This was a bad idea...

I had no clue what to do, even if I did see her.

This situation just refused to make sense!

Alma Elma was supposed to be a lighthearted, sex-loving hedonist who did whatever she wanted!

Not a depressed girl staying shut in her room and refusing to even touch a willing man!

What did this even mean!?

What had caused this!?

Whatever it was, I was apparently involved.

"Where is Tamamo?" I inquired to Granberia, snapping out of my own thoughts for a moment.

"She's probably already there. She's also been trying to get her to come out in various ways... Just what did you do to her?" Granberia asked in exasperation.

"Except for begging for my life as she swung me around like a ragdoll? I have no idea." I deadpanned.

"Well, you obviously did SOMETHING to her, so you'd better be able to fix it!" the Dragon-kin threatened.

However, I wasn't having it.

I stopped walking.

"What are you doing? Move!" Granberia ordered, her aura flaring again.

"I came here willingly, to save a life. I'm not here to entertain your petty grudge. You should be thinking of your friend instead." I calmly enunciated, leaving her dumbfounded at my sudden coldness, as I walked ahead of her towards Tamamo's aura that was now at the edge of my perception.

She looked at me wordlessly for a moment, before following.

~– ~ – ~

"You're here! Thank the First, I just don't know what..." Tamamo started, as she turned to face Granberia, before stopping as she saw me.

Behind the old Kitsune was a closed door, hiding from sight the weakened Alma Elma, whose aura I could still feel ever so slowly waning.

A number of Succubi were standing worriedly around the room, and a few men were waiting with an impatient expression.

"You actually managed to bring him here!? How did you convince Lord Alice to let you take him? And what about that cute boy Luka?" Tamamo inquired to the Dragon-kin.

"...He came on his own." Granberia declared, making Tamamo's eyes widen.

I sighed loudly, before speaking up myself.

"I'll say this now, I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I'll see what I can do. Just don't expect much... Have her open the door." I requested.

"We already tried, she refuses to see anyone..." A Succubus said in a sad tone.

"Try again then. I can't do anything if I can't even see her." I deadpanned.

"Wait, let me try one more time." Granberia requested.

I wordlessly motioned towards the door.

"Alma, it's me. Open the door, please." Granberia pleaded, after knocking softly twice.

"Go away!" Alma Elma responded in a fearful tone.

What?

"Why are you like this? Talk to me please..." Granberia insisted.

"No! Just go away before I hurt you too..." she said, before her sobbing resounded through the wooden frame.

Wait... Was that what this was about?

She was scared to hurt others?

Like she thought she had hurt me?

But why?

She didn't actually do anything to me...!

And then I understood.

Alma Elma was a Succubus.

A race that thought of sex like the best thing in the world, worshipping it as the end-all be-all of life.

They spread pleasure throughout the world, not just because they needed it to survive, but as a means of trying to make themselves and others happy.

In a way, they were like missionaries of a religion based around pleasure.

And I had appeared to be hurt by it.

In reality, things were different.

I had simply been dealing with my own repressed emotions that her aura had unwittingly dragged to the surface.

But she thought SHE was the cause.

And I knew she already had her own issues with causing pain, being a natural-born genius warrior.

She had always been afraid to hurt others, going so far as trying to defeat enemies that were trying to kill her with pleasure, instead of violence, despite the ease with which she could have won those fights.

She had called it a Succubus' pride, a thing that defined her.

And I had made her think she hurt me.

Now, don't misunderstand, I didn't feel guilty, having done nothing wrong.

But I was still ultimately the cause of this.

So I had to do something.

"Move." I ordered, as I stepped towards the door.

"What are you..." Granberia started, before I kicked the door open, a loud crack resounding from the wooden frame.

Everyone just stared at me dumbfoundedly, as I calmly entered the room, Alma Elma included, before her eyes widened in fear and she hid under the covers of her bed.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind!?" Granberia furiously demanded.

"Leave. I got this." I declared, without even turning around.

The Dragon-kin was about to snap at me again, when Tamamo stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll leave it to you. Be careful." the Kitsune cautioned, before using one of her tails to close the door, leaving me and Alma Elma alone in the room.

I looked at her shivering form under the bed covers, her whimpering the only sound that could be heard.

The room itself was mostly dark, the curtains closed over the windows obscuring it from the already clouded sun above Hellgondo.

"Haaaah..." I sighed, trying to think of just what to say.

I had never tried to do anything like consoling someone, despite having at one point been through something similar, although much less extreme.

It really wasn't anything tragic in my case, more like a childish tantrum if anything, but it had hurt nonetheless.

So, while I could not truly comprehend how she felt, I could get the gist of it.

Still, I had come out of it mostly on my own, while she obviously needed some qualified help.

Which, let's be honest, I was anything but.

However, I was also the only one available that she might have listened to at that point, so it was worth a try.

"So, your friends tell me you've been stuck in here for a while. What gives?" I asked in an unimpressed tone.

Perhaps I was still a bit angry at her, despite the fact she hadn't really harmed me.

After all, it was because of her that I had hit my lowest point.

And her aura wasn't helping me conceal it, especially combined with Tamamo and Granberia's on the other side of the door making me more heated and stubborn.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she said in a hoarse voice, trembling under the sheets.

I sighed deeply in annoyance.

Well, that was that.

I couldn't stay angry anymore.

She did apologize.

"Now, was that so hard? Seriously do you have any idea how much I envy the fact you can feel like this over something so trivial?" I asked in a lighter tone.

"Eh...?" Alma Elma voiced out in confusion, her trembling stopping for a moment.

"So, you've made a mistake. Who doesn't? Human, monster, it doesn't matter, as long as a person lives they WILL fuck something up. That's why apologies exist. The whole concept would be pointless if nobody ever messed up." I explained, as if I was speaking to a small child.

"The fact you feel this bad about something so small is what truly boggles me. I know I wouldn't be this bothered. Hell, just today, I punched someone, and how do you think I felt afterwards?" I quizzed.

"...Bad? Ashamed?" she weakly tried, as her face emerged from the sheets, looking at me.

"More like proud. It was my first fight, and I had managed to actually be helpful to my friend. Against a Lamia of all things!" I said in a slightly smug tone.

"But... I hurt you..." she said, her voice cracking once again, tears glistening in her eyes.

Cringing inwardly at the fact I myself was about to apply such a clichè trope to that anime-like situation, I made a blade-like shape with my hand and smacked the Succubus Queen on the forehead with a bit of strenght.

"Ow! What was that for?" Alma Elma asked incredulously, as she rubbed the spot I had hit with her hands.

I embarrassingly noted she wasn't wearing anything under her covers.

"There. Now we're even." I declared, averting my eyes politely, my cheeks heating up a bit.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You hurt me, I hurt you. In fact, I may owe you, seeing as I really only was harmed by my own repressed bullshit. You only helped me by bringing it to the surface, really. Who knows how long that crap would have festered otherwise." I elaborated.

"But..." she started.

"Shut up and go back to your happy-go-lucky nymphomaniac self. Your friends are out there waiting for you." I ordered in a harsh tone, raising my hand-blade once again, even as I smiled at her.

I then noticed she was staring at something behind me with drool coming out of her mouth.

Looking back, I saw various men looking at her from behind the slightly ajar door.

Tamamo and Granberia were staring at me from behind them, their jaws hanging open.

My gaze went back and forth between Alma Elma's ravenous face, and the men's "eager" looks.

"Get. Me. Out. Of. Here." I silently mouthed, my expression suddenly desperate, looking at Granberia.

Immediately, she snapped out of her funk, and as the men entered the room, she blurred inside, retrieving me in a moment, before closing the door behind us.

I was already starting to blush, as the "recovery process" started.

"Portal. Now!" I hastily demanded, my face reddening.

Granberia automatically complied, despite her confusion.

"Thank you..." a Succubus said softly, before I stepped through the hole in space, everyone in the room looking fixedly at my retreating form.

~– ~ – ~

I reappeared in an alleyway in the city outside of the castle, in San Ilia.

Thankfully, my friends weren't far, according to their auras at the edge of my range.

I sighed in relief, as I started walking towards them.

Luka had probably gotten the book he needed from the library already.

I hoped I hadn't missed anything important...


	23. Chapter 23: Reuniting and discussing

As I walked, my thoughts ran back to the moment I had been in the presence of multiple Heavenly Knights.

Their combined auras certainly had an effect on me, though it was hard to define in a single word.

I had felt more heated and stubborn, but also a bit more straightforward and honest with myself, despite Alma Elma's weakened presence.

Thankfully, I could keep a hold of my emotions this time, and I didn't end up blurting anything important.

Anyway, with this I could call my theory officially confirmed.

Though I still had no idea what effect Erubetie's aura would have on me...

I supposed I would find out eventually.

~– ~ – ~

I reached my friends, as Luka was reading a book titled "Four animists and their sources" sitting on a bench with Alice by his side.

Neither of them had noticed my approach yet.

I grinned.

"Hey guys." I suddenly greeted, as I poked my head over both their shoulders.

"Waah! Stop doing that!" Luka startled, almost dropping his book.

I just snickered in response.

"You're back already? I thought you would have to pass the night there..." Alice commented.

"Nah, she had... Other candidates." I cringed.

"Well? How did it go? Did she try anything...?" Luka inquired in a worried tone.

"Fine, I guess. Though, I hope you don't mind, I might have broken a door in the process..." I wryly replied, looking at Alice.

"What!? Just what did you do to my castle!?" Alice demanded in an outraged tone.

"She wasn't coming out of her room on her own, I had to improvise!" I defended myself.

"And that's why you decided to break a door in MY castle instead of having someone else open it with a key?" Alice said, narrowing her eyes at me.

"...I may have had thoughts of using shock factor?" I wryly confessed.

Alice just stared at me, narrowing her eyes even more.

Finally she sighed in resignation.

"Whatever. Did it work at least?" she inquired, thankfully changing the argument.

"Considering the 'treatment' for her self-imposed starvation was already starting as I left, I think so." I said, blushing at the last image my aura sense had gave me before the portal had closed.

"I see... Thank you. There was no reason for you to put yourself on the line like that. As the Monster lord, I thank you for saving my cute subordinate." Alice declared.

"Eh, I really did nothing special. You're welcome I guess..." I said wryly while scratching my head.

"We shall consider that repayment for the door you broke in the process. Wood of that quality is pretty expensive after all." she concluded.

"Thank you kindly for your generosity, lady Fateburn." I said respectfully, truly grateful she had dropped the matter of me damaging her mother's castle.

"So she didn't try to hurt you?" Luka questioned.

"Nope. She's not that bad honestly. I get why you don't like her, and I won't ask you to change that, but we're even now. I did karate-chop her forehead." I declared.

"You did what!? She let you go after you hit her!?" Luka asked incredulously.

"She had... Other priorities by that point, I think..." I uncomfortably trailed off, my blush reappearing.

"That reminds me. You said your aura sense is precise enough to predict an opponent's movements right? And its range is pretty extensive... Did you happen to be in range that night at Iliasburg as well?" Alice asked innocently, as I looked at her in horror.

Luka sputtered incoherently, looking at me with a beet-red face.

I drew a sharp breath, before I answered.

"Let's just agree to never talk about what was easily the most awkward night of my life, ok? Also, the next time, please, PLEASE wait for about a minute or so after I leave the room to do anything. I already saw enough of another man's junk during all the monster fights so far to scar me for life. And, unlike my eyes, I can't close my damn aura sense." I requested, cupping my face in my hands.

Luka was still blabbering something incomprehensible.

"You do realize holding back is bad for you right? I wouldn't be opposed to some variety in my diet..." Alice trailed off meaningfully.

Luka looked at her with something akin to betrayal.

"Thank you, but no thank you. I already told you about my worldview on sex." I reminded.

Luka looked at me with wide, grateful eyes.

God, he was such a puppy...

"We wouldn't actually be going all the way..." Alice disclaimed.

"Still counts. Sorry." I denied.

"I hope you understand not all monsters will respect that. If you're too backed up they might have an easier time tempting you." Alice cautioned.

"If it comes to that I'll deal with it myself. Again, thank you, but no thank you." I repeated.

"Suit yourself. My offer still stands." she neutrally concluded.

"Besides, my fighting style heavily involves dodging, instead of using the enemy's pleasure attacks as an opportunity to deal damage like Luka does." I added.

I meant it too, Luka was a lot more agile then I was, the only reason he never seemed to avoid being caught in enemy grapples was because he tried to tank their attacks instead of avoiding them altogether.

I supposed it had to do with his martyr complex...

He would have been much stronger without it.

"Oh? Is that how it is? I simply thought he enjoyed the attention... Perhaps I should help with that sometime." Alice said, licking her lips.

"Just remember to wait for a minute for me to run before you do." I tiredly requested.

"Hiii!" Luka shrieked with an absolutely scarlet face.

~– ~ – ~

After Luka managed to calm down, he started reading his book again.

"Hmm... It looks like Sylph is the closest, in the nearby Forest of Spirits." Luka spoke up, after closing his book.

"Elves live separately from other monsters in the Forest of Spirits. As the Monster lord, I don't really want humans to go into that forest..." Alice trailed off uncomfortably.

"I understand, Alice. As long as they don't attack me first, I won't bother them." Luka assured.

"Good. Since you're a human I can trust, I'll allow you to enter the forest." Alice conceded with a small smile.

"...Do you really trust me?" Luka asked hopefully.

"...Bah!" Alice startled, as something behind her moved.

"Finally, I meet you again... My Darling, I shall shower you with the affection I've built up over the past hundred years." an annoying familiar voice resounded.

"You...!?" Luka startled as well, while Amira started her usual antics.

"I am Amira, an unfortunate Lamia. My fiery passion burns brighter than a transient phoenix, as it rebirths stronger every time it is shot down." she recited.

"Isn't the sea route still blocked? How did you cross over to this continent?" Luka inquired.

"Actually, I was hiding on the same boat as you. Together on our boat of love, I'll follow my darling anywhere." she explained.

"...I see. Why are you so fixated on stalking me?" Luka questioned in an uncaring tone.

"...An ugly Lamia like me is avoided wherever I go. Everyone pokes at me with sticks, or throws stones at me as I pass by." Amira lamented.

"Amira..." Luka started in a sympathetic tone, right before some kids started crowding Amira.

"Uwa! Hey, big-sis snake is here!" one said.

"Let's play! Let's play!" the other proposed.

"...Yeah, those children sure seem like they hate you." Luka deadpanned.

"Hey sis, are you strong?" the first kid asked.

"Can you defeat all the ghosts in the haunted mansion to the north?" the other inquired.

"Haunted mansion to the north? What's there?" Luka asked curiously.

Alice paled a little.

"It's a huge mansion with ghosts infesting it." the first kid explained.

"Baaad ghosts come out, and don't let us play there anymore!" the other child complained.

"Ghosts don't exist!" Alice suddenly yelled out, hugging herself.

"Oioi, if you yell like that, you'll scare the children." Luka chastised her.

"Waah! Snakey!" the children laughed, as they played with Amira, ignoring Alice's outburst.

"...Hrm. Stupid humans. Believing in such superstitious crap like ghosts. Fearing such stupid things... How foolishly foolish." Alice insulted, trying to hide her shivering.

"...What are you talking about, Alice?" Luka asked, as two soldiers happened to pass by.

"Ah! A monster is in the town!" one of them yelled.

"She may know something about the Monster lord breaking in earlier! Catch her!" his comrade shouted, as they both charged towards us.

"This isn't good! Run!" Luka yelled, starting to run away together with Amira.

I and Alice followed after them.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, Amira split ways from Luka, before he finally stopped running, entering a plaza.

"Hah... Hah... Now that I think about it... I didn't need to run away, did I?" Luka asked between labored breaths, as Alice and I reached him.

"Well... It seems like the people here aren't very welcoming of monsters. As I thought, this place has been tainted by Ilias. Hmm... What's that?" Alice asked, as her eyes rested on a wooden bullettin board, covered in notices held on by small thumbtacks.

"This is a request board, where people post things they need help with...Shall we check it out?" Luka proposed, as he began scanning the various requests.

"Hrrm... It doesn't look like I can fulfill any of these." he commented, beginning to turn away, when suddenly a pigeon landed on the board.

Attached to the pigeon's foot was a tiny slip of paper.

"Hmm... What's with this pigeon?" Alice asked.

"Alice, this pigeon is working hard... Please don't eat it." Luka requested.

"Like I would!" Alice roared indignantly.

"That's a Notice Pigeon. Just like that, they deliver notices to settlements all over the world." Luka explained.

"I see... Humans trained pigeons to do such a thing... You humans sure think of some interesting things." Alice commented, as Luka read the new note.

I already knew its contents, of course.

I was actually looking forward to this one.

I did love swimming...

"Someone without a bias against monsters...? I'm interested... Shall we go and see what they have to say?" Luka questioned.

"Surely you aren't going to return to Port Natalia?" Alice deadpanned.

"Why not? The sea breeze, the various seafoods... I like that place. I wouldn't mind a second pass." I said.

"Hmm... the prospect is tempting, but I've already eaten a lot of seafood there..." Alice pondered.

"Still, I want to go. I'm sure this will be something that brings together humans and monsters..." Luka declared.

"You really like doing all these stupid acts of kindness, don't you? Just leave it alone..." Alice lamented.

"I'm a Hero, it's my job to help those in need." Luka proclaimed.

"A fake Hero..." Alice started.

"It's because I'm a fake Hero that I must have the heart of a true one!" Luka heatedly interrupted.

"Hrm. You learned how to talk back..." Alice said in a conflicted tone, before we started walking.

~– ~ – ~

We gathered some more seemingly contradictory (for everyone but me) information in town about the haunted mansion, before departing towards our next objective.

"I wonder what's really happening at that haunted mansion. Everybody in town was saying something a little different. But it does sound like a normal haunted house. What do you think, Alice?" Luka asked as we left the town.

"No! Stupid unscientific things like ghosts don't exist. Stop being so stupid." Alice declared strongly.

"But aren't there Zombie monsters and such...?" Luka pointed out.

"Those aren't ghosts! When a lot of magic gathers inside dead bodies, they turn into normal monsters. Don't mix them with stupid things like ghosts!" Alice denied loudly.

"What do you think, Daniel?" Luka asked me.

"Well, I don't know for sure about what's going on with that mansion, but I do believe ghosts could exist. However I also happen to think there's no need to fear them as is." I started.

"What!? I thought you were smarter than that! How can you believe in such an unscientific thing!?" Alice shrieked.

"Well, there are a few reasons. Firstly, something not being proven is not the same thing as it being disproven. I'll admit I never really researched much about ghosts, but I haven't found any evidence they don't exist so far. Secondly, hearsay. Ghost stories have been around since forever, so it's at least somewhat probable there is a reason for it. Though that doesn't necessarily mean that there is an actual one in that mansion, despite the townsfolk's clear opinion. Regardless, whether or not they exist, there is no reason to think they would be hostile to the living. Think about it, if they were people in the past, what reason could they have to harm others?." I questioned.

"Absorbing their life to fuel their own existence? Envy of those still living? Relief from their pain? They seem like pretty good reasons to me!" Alice pointed out.

"Yeah, but there's no reason to assume that. There's no proof." I countered.

"You're an idiot." Alice flatly declared, ending the debate, too shaken to actually consider my words.

"We may have to go to that haunted mansion... I don't want monsters to continue to trouble humans..." Luka considered aloud.

"That isn't necessary! Go to the forest and get Sylph! We don't have time for pointless detours!" Alice yelled angrily.

"...Why are you so angry? Speaking of detours, there was also that request from Meia. There's a lot to do here for me as a Hero..." Luka thought aloud.

"You're just an idiot. Stop doing pointless things for strangers." Alice insulted.

"Well, I'd say it's pretty obvious what the best route is. From port Natalia, to the mansion, to the Forest of Spirits it's pretty much a straight line." I pointed out.

"That's true... Alright, let's head to Port Natalia." Luka agreed.

I was really hoping that Ball of Guidance's magic would work on me as well.

Breathing underwater had always been a dream of mine.


	24. Chapter 24: Subbing for a marriage

We made it back to Port Natalia without much fuss, having met no trouble on the way.

As we walked around town, looking for Meia's house, Alice and I both sampled the local delicacies once more.

"Mmm... These Yamatai crackers are delicious." Alice commented, while nibbling on said snack.

"Have you tried these fried fishsticks yet? they're pretty good too!" I exclaimed, as I stuffed my mouth full of crunchy goodness.

"Focus you two. We're looking for that address." Luka reminded.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, we passed by the Mermaid Pub, hoping to find someone to point us in the right direction.

"Oh... Welcome, you cute Hero. What are you going to order?" the Mermaid behind the counter asked Luka.

"Ah... I don't drink alcohol." Luka explained.

"Me neither, but I am thirsty. Do you have anything non-alcoholic?" I inquired.

"We do offer a few types of fruit juice." the Mermaid replied.

"I'll take a mixed one if you don't mind." I requested.

"One tropical fruit mix then. Will that be all?" she asked for confirmation.

"Yes, I'm not thirsty." Luka said.

"Then, do you want to hear the story of how mermaids came to this town? It's a sad story from a hundred years ago, between a young human and a Mermaid." the Mermaid offered.

We all sat down, and as I drank my juice, the Mermaid recounted a story I already knew, about a person I actually had already met.

"A long time ago, there was a young sailor named Alan in this town. One day his ship wrecked while on a voyage. He was attacked by a shark, and was mortally wounded. Suddenly, a beutiful mermaid named Laura appeared and saved him. It was love at first sight for Laura. Alan's injury was so severe, that normally it would kill a human. There was a puncture through his left chest that went half an inch into his lung, leaving him in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. His spine was also injured in the shark attack, and he had lost a third of his blood." the mermaid elucidated.

"...That's unusually detailed." Luka commented in an impressed tone.

"Anyway, normally someone wouldn't survive that... Did I already say he was half dead? So, Laura made Alan drink her blood. You may not know, but the blood of a Mermaid is a powerful medicine. Drinking her blood, Alan was somehow able to recover. But even with her blood, he wasn't able to be completely fine. For a full year he had to drink her blood every day, or else he would die. So Laura pretended to be a human, and followed Alan to the town. She secretly mixed her blood in with his food to keep him alive." the Mermaid continued.

"...Why did Laura have to disguise herself?" Luka suddenly asked.

"The town hated monsters. So Laura had no choice but to pretend to be a human. Months passed like that, as she continued to take care of Alan. Laura and Alan fell completely in love... One day, it was discovered that Laura was not human. Alan's love didn't change, but the other townsfolk were different. People were terrified of her, and accused her of being the source of all the bad things happening in town. Finally, soldiers caught her and decided to execute her." the Mermaid continued.

"But couldn't she have escaped? As a Mermaid, she would have been stronger than any guard..." Luka pointed out.

"If Laura ran, then Alan wouldn't be able to drink her blood. That's why Laura didn't run." the Mermaid declared.

Luka was silent.

"Laura decided she would turn herself in and choose to be executed by skewering. Choosing the bloodiest possible method, she wanted Alan to be able to collect all of her blood." the Mermaid explained.

"No... How awful..." Luka whispered in horror.

"Alan figured out what Laura was planning on doing by the letter she sent him... He decided to kill himself by drinking poison. If he died, Laura wouldn't be forced to stay by his side to give him her blood. He couldn't bear the thought of Laura being executed for his sake." the Mermaid continued.

Again, Luka was silent.

"Laura fled from the execution ground after hearing of Alan's death. For the next few days, a storm blew through the town, as if summoned by Laura's grief. The people of the town regretted their actions. They decided to repent, and came to accept Mermaids... The end." she finished.

...Or is it? I thought mournfully.

"...That's a sad story." Luka commented.

"It's a legend, so I don't know how true it really is, but it's been handed down through the years in this town..." the Mermaid said, as I finished my juice, left some money on the counter and walked away.

My friends followed me soon after, with directions to Meia's house.

~– ~ – ~

"6th street... 3-29... Is this it?" Luka said, as he walked up to the house.

Inside was a familiar presence, as I had expected.

Luka knocked on the door.

"Is anyone there?" he asked.

"I'm coming!" a familiar voice said, before the door opened.

On the other side, stood a beautiful Mermaid with grey hair.

"Oh...? Are you Meia?" Luka asked in surprise, recognizing the woman from our first time in this town.

"Yes... I'm Meia. I'm sorry about cutting our conversation short last time... Due to the explosion, I completely forgot about our conversation." she apologised.

"Oh no, don't be sorry." Luka soothed.

"Yeah, I'd say an explosion happening in the plaza you're standing in counts as a pretty good distraction." I quipped.

We entered the house soon after that.

~– ~ – ~

"Please excuse the small house... I don't have much to entertain you either..." Meia said in a mortified tone.

"Oh don't worry about it, we're fine..." Luka said, as Meia started setting down some weird looking food and some tea on the table.

"We're somewhat busy. Your request better not be stupid." Alice deadpanned, looking irritated at Luka's reactions to Meia's self-debasement.

He did look like he was in her strike zone after all, knowing her husband's apparent age...

"Aaahh can you be quiet for a minute? Here... If you keep nibbling on this seaweed, it will probably taste good after a while..." Luka proposed, handing Alice a slick-looking piece of seaweed.

I didn't bother trying it, I had never liked seaweeds much anyway.

"Seaweed..." Alice said thoughtfully, before taking a bite.

Luka used the chance to continue the conversation.

"So, what is the request you need assistance with?" Luka inquired.

"Actually... I'm in love with a human." Meia said, while holding her cheeks and blushing.

"No way... Are you wanting me to play matchmaker or something? I'm not very good at that at all..." Luka said dejectedly.

"Oh no... We're already in a relationship. We've lived together in this house for a while. But right now, he's out at sea fishing..." Meia explained.

"That's great!" Luka exclaimed enthusiastically.

This was the sort of thing he fought for, after all.

"But... Although we love each other deeply, we're not married. It's because we can't perform the Marriage Trial dictated by marine law..." Meia elaborated in a sad tone.

"Marriage Trial...?" Luka asked.

"When a Mermaid and a human get married, they have to offer a written pledge to the Queen at the temple on the seabed. But... The monsters along the way to the temple are too dangerous. I have some magic power, but my darling isn't too strong. We wouldn't be able to make it there safely..." Meia finished in a mournful tone.

"In other words... You want me to go to the temple at the bottom of the sea and deliver this pledge?" Luka asked for confirmation.

"Yes... I'm sorry for the troublesome request. Could you please deliver the pledge to her in our stead?" Meia pleaded.

"...Is someone else even allowed to deliver it in your place? It seems a strange trial if the two people getting married don't even need to do it." Luka inquired.

"The law doesn't specifically say "Those getting married have to deliver it". It doesn't say someone else can either... But it should be fine." Meia declared.

Luka made a strange face, as the door to the house opened, what appeared to be a small kid entering the room.

"I'm home!" the kid said.

"Ah! Welcome home!" Meia sang, greeting the small boy.

"Eh...? No way, you've already had a kid together?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"No, no... This is my darling!" Meia said, embracing the not-so-young man.

"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed, making an awkward face.

"Heeey Meia. Who are these people?" the kid said.

"They're very admirable adventurers! I asked them to deliver our pledge of marriage to the Queen!" Meia answered.

"Oh, really? Thank you! We really want to get married, so that would help us a lot." the kid declared.

"Um... Meia... Don't you think it would be better to wait for him to grow up a little more...?" Luka asked uncomfortably.

"But my darling is turning twenty-five this year." Meia protested.

"Eh!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"I'm an adult! I can get married!" the young man agreed.

"I used a little of my mermaid magic to stop his growth..." Meia wryly explained.

"Why did you do that...?" Luka asked.

"Because... He's so cute like this!" Meia answered while blushing.

"So that's why! I thought it was strange! Meia! That's so awful!" the young man protested.

"Hehehehehe..." Meia laughed cutely.

"Sorry, but I have to agree... I get that you have your preference, and I'm not going to judge, but you really should have at least asked... Growth is kind of a big deal, there are some things he will never be able to do as long as he's like this..." I interjected in a pitiful tone.

Meia looked afraid for a moment, before the boy sighed, and spoke up.

"I don't really mind. Meia is more important to me that stuff like that." he declared.

I was a bit impressed by his resolve.

"Darling..." Meia said with tears in her eyes, before turning to Luka with a determined expression.

"That's how it is, so please help us! Please go to the Queen at the bottom of the sea and deliver our pledge!" Meia pleaded.

"Please!" the boy agreed.

"...Alright. I'll take the request." Luka acquiesced.

"Thank you so much!" Meia said, hugging her husband.

"Thank you big bro!" the boy added.

...Wasn't he actually older though?

Alice was silent, glaring at Luka while she chewed on her seaweed.

"It's only something small, but I can give you a reward. It may not be enough for you though..." Meia lamented.

"Oh no, you don't need to give me a reward." Luka immediately disclaimed.

"Then please take these... This is our pledge and a Ball of Guidance." Meia said, as she handed to Luka a document and a transparent crystal that I could feel contained some sort of energy.

"Ball of Guidance? What's this?" Luka inquired, looking at the crystal in puzzlement.

"While standing on the nearby beach, you need to use that. Then you should be able to go on the undersea road." Meia explained.

"I see... So if I follow that road, it will take me to the temple?" Luka asked.

"Yes... I'll pray for your safe journey." Meia confirmed.

"Good luck big bro!" the boy wished.

"Leave it to me!" Luka declared.

"Quick question, about that Ball of Guidance thing..." I started.

"Yes?" Meia asked.

"Does it make one able to breathe underwater?" I asked.

"Oh yes, of course. Those standing near it when it activates become capable of breathing underwater for a time. It's a pretty simple enchantment." Meia confirmed.

"Do you think we could have that as a reward? I really love swimming, and I always wanted to be able to breathe underwater..." I sincerely pleaded.

"...Well, I suppose we won't need it anymore after this... We could always borrow another as well. Why not?" Meia agreed.

"Thank you so much. I will do my best to make sure the delivery goes smoothly." I declared.

Luka looked at me a bit uncomfortable about the fact I asked for a reward, but since Meia herself seemed fine with it he didn't press the issue.

We left Meia's house soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"You sure like to be used by others. There's no point in doing such a personal request like that." Alice lambasted Luka.

"Don't say that, Alice. Isn't it great to break down racial barriers in the name of love?" Luka protested.

"Besides, I don't know about you guys, but I'm really happy with the reward." I happily added.

"But that guy will break Ilias' law, won't he? Since you believe in her laws, isn't that bad?" Alice pointed out.

"Urgh... That hits a weak point." Luka winced, before growing resolute once more.

"Alright, let's go! To the Queen at the bottom of the sea!" he loudly declared.

"An underwater temple... I doubt there's anything good to eat." Alice complained, making Luka shake his head in amazement at her unending gluttony.

We left town soon after that, heading to the beach.

~– ~ – ~

After we arrived at the spot Meia had indicated, Luka spoke up.

"So on the beach with the Ball of Guidance, what do I do?" he questioned, before starting to rummage through his bag.

Suddenly, a monster's presence started rushing towards us from the bottom of the sea.

I hid behind a rock in anticipation.

From the waves, a monster looking like a crab with multiple human arms emerged, looking at Luka.

She was silent for a moment, before speaking up.

"... Hey. Could you give me a little of your semen? I'm a little hungry." the Crab Girl requested.

"Asking something like that so suddenly..." Luka said warily, pulling out his sword.

"Aww... You want to fight? Then let me clean your dirty body. Even if you cry while letting out all your semen, I won't stop washing you." the monster said maliciously, as bubbles started coming out of her crab mouth.

Luka quickly executed a Thunder Thrust, stabbing the monster's body.

"My bubbles feel amazing..." the Crab Girl said proudly, as she covered Luka's crotch in foam. Luka just kept slashing at her, ignoring her attack.

"Haha! I caught you!" the monster exulted ,as she used her pincers to pin Luka on the ground.

"Caught you... I'll take my time washing your dirty body." the monster sang, as she started scrubbing Luka's body under her foam, even as Luka tried to wriggle free.

"Geez! Stop moving around so much! My bubbles feel amazing, don't they? When it feels too good to endure it, just yell out... Just sit still while I wash your penis... I 'll cover your penis with my bubbles... Shall I keep washing you until you come?" the monster kept tempting, as her multiple hands cleaned Luka's body all over.

Finally, he managed to break free of her hold.

I idly wondered if all the slippery bubbles actually helped him with that... That just sounded counterproductive to me.

"Aww... Don't run, please. You don't want me to wash your penis?" the Crab Girl asked, as Luka finished her off with a Demon decapitation.

"No... What... is this?" the Crab Girl stammered, as she dissolved into particles, turning into a small crab.

"Haaaa... Oh?" Luka sighed in relief, before noticing that the small crab was circling his feet instead of running away.

"What are you doing? Ouch! Geez... Annoying to the end." he concluded, as the crab pinched his toe, before running off into the sea.

"More like to the 'HAND'." I quipped, appearing behind him.

"Gah! I told you to stop that!" Luka startled.

I just snickered in response.

"...Having trouble as usual. If you can't blow off a monster like that with just a sneeze, you'll never be able to beat the Monster Lord." Alice pointed out.

"...That's you, you know. More importantly, what kind of weird training lets you use your sneeze as a weapon?" Luka inquired incredulously.

"That training will come later for you, Daniel." Alice declared.

"You're joking, right?" I said fearfully.

She stayed silent, making my worries increase, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

Luka finally took out the Ball of Guidance, holding it up to the sky.

The transparent crystal started shining brightly, its magic affecting all of us, as a beam of light shot out of it towards the sea.

I felt mostly the same, but I could tell the magic had affected me as well somehow.

I grinned in anticipation, as I started to remove my clothes, having already worn my swimsuit underneath, putting them in my backpack, and leaving it hidden behind a few rocks, almost invisible in the shade.

"Hmm... So that thing created a road of light to follow." Alice commented.

"Road of light...?" Luka inquired.

"That light is a tunnel to the bottom of the sea, so to speak. If you follow the light closely, it's possible to go all the way to the bottom of the sea through the light tunnel." Alice elaborated.

"Inside the light...?" Luka said, as we entered the water.

After a moment of hesitation, I breathed in.

My face was then split by a giddy smile, like a kid who just received exactly what he wanted for his birthday.

"So we just have to stay on this light road to reach the bottom of the sea?" Luka asked for confirmation.

However, I was no longer listening, as my form shot around the water faster than ever before, leaving a trail of bubbles behind me.

"Whoa!" Luka exclaimed, as my self-created current hit him, my joyful laughter resounding under the waves.

"Whoooooo!" I yelled like a madman, as I started doing sommersaults and corkscrew twirls under the ocean, cutting through the water like a blade.

Alice looked at me in astonishment.

"Is he the son of a sea monster or something?" she wondered aloud, looking at my unbound freedom of movement.

"Daniel, what are you doing!?" Luka asked incredulously, as he tried to follow my erratic moves with his eyes.

I just laughed louder in response.

I fucking LOVED swimming.

~– ~ – ~

After I settled down a little, we started moving, following the light pointing diagonally down towards the temple.

"Is this light tunnel safe? I hope it doesn't just suddenly vanish when we're so deep..." Luka said worriedly.

"As long as you keep holding that Ball of Guidance, it's no issue. While the bearer is in the sea, it will never fade." Alice declared.

"I see..." Luka said thoughtfully.

I really hoped after everything was over he'd let me have that thing.

If I was still here by then that is...

"Reaching the bottom of the sea on this road... The trial of a couple that wishes to marry... Knocking down every monster that challenges them to show their courage..." Alice pondered.

"That's a pretty troublesome trial to have to perform just to get married..." Luka observed.

"I agree, it makes it seem like only the strong have a right to love each other... It doesn't seem very kind to the weak." I added.

"Do other monsters have strange customs like this too?" Luka inquired.

"It's different on the type of monster. Some don't care at all who their partner is, and others have extremely detailed restrictions and requirements. My family requires two conditions to be met before they are allowed to be a partner." Alice explained.

"Your family does?" Luka said, hiding his nervousness.

"First, the man has to be strong. Second, the man has to want to get married. Only a man stronger than the female is allowed to marry someone of my clan. That's our law." Alice declared.

"That's... Pretty difficult, isn't it? Putting that aside... It looks like a fantasy world around here." Luka observed, looking at the beautiful nature surrounding us.

You don't know the half of it, I inwardly mused.

"It's beautiful... The mysteries of the deep are amazing, aren't they?" Luka said in wonder.

"...For now. The deep sea is the monsters' domain. They will attack you without mercy once you're noticed." Alice said, as she turned towards the presence that had just entered my perception.

"See... Of course, right as I said that something was going to come..." she lamented before disappearing from sight.

"Eh...?" Luka let out, as he turned to see a jellifish-like monster quickly approaching us.

I had nowhere to hide in the clear water surrounding us.

"Humans this deep under the sea? How strange..." the monster commented, her gaze alternating between me and Luka.

"I don't want to bother you. So, please just keep swimming along..." Luka politely pleaded.

"You look delicious... I'll wring all the semen out and savor it..." the monster spoke in a hungry tone looking at Luka, as she licked her lips.

Oh, what was I then? Chopped liver?

Whatever, I actually preferred it that way.

I hated jellyfishes ever since one of them had stung me once.

Luka opened with a stab, despite the awkwardness of his movements, as he was unused to moving underwater.

"Your penis is weak..." the Jellyfish Girl said, as a tentacle shot towards Luka's pants.

Luka slashed at her neck, darkness bleeding underwater.

"This tentacle is special..." the jellyfish girl said, as one of her needle-pointed tentacles pricked Luka, his movements stopping.

"Ahh... My body..." Luka voiced out weakly.

"Now, I'll eat you... your friend comes afterwards." the monster declared, as her tentacles moved towards Luka's floating form.

However, before she could reach him, he was whisked away, leaving behind a trail of bubbles.

"What?" the monster dumbly let out, looking at my speeding form as I carried my friend through the water.

"Hey! He's mine! Get back here!" she yelled, starting to chase me.

However, under the sea, I was faster than ever before.

"How can a human be that fast underwater!? What are you!?" the monster yelled in disbelief, as I kept avoiding her, even while keeping within the confines of the tunnel of light.

Finally, I felt Luka's body twitch, and looked at him in the eyes.

"Ready?" I asked, hinting at his sword.

"Yeah. Can you throw me towards her?" he requested.

"As if I wasn't gonna do that anyway." I grinned, before speeding up even more and throwing my friend like a torpedo towards the monster.

She never saw the Demon Decapitation coming.

"My strength..." she lamented, as she turned into a small jellyfish that immediately started swimming away.

"Haa... I'm glad the blade still works underwater. Thanks for the assist, Daniel." Luka said gratefully.

"My pleasure." I simply smiled.

"What idiotic things are you saying? You idiot." Alice insulted.

"You don't have to say it twice in a row..." Luka said, as suddenly, a long tentacle shot towards his foot from below.

Shit.

"Look out!" I yelled, pushing him out of the tentacle's path...

Only for that tentacle to wrap around my ankle instead.

Double shit.

"Daniel!" Luka called out, as I was pulled under by an unrelenting force.

"That's a Sea Anemone Girl's tentacle." Alice declared in a serious tone.

"It's dragging him down!" Luka yelled, following after me.

"The Sea Anemone Girls drag their prey into them with their tentacles, and suck out all their semen. Once caught by them, they won't stop until their prey is dead. Though of course, the prey gets pleasure the entire time." Alice elaborated.

"That really isn't helping!" I shouted angrily, as I desperately struggled against the tentacle's hold.

"Daniel!" Luka called out again, desperately trying to swim after me.

Soon after, I reached the bottom of the sea, and saw with my own eyes the tentacle's owner.

She looked like a normal woman wearing only a shell necklace, but her hair was made of wriggling appendages, and her lower half was composed of a giant mouth lined with long tentacles to the side.

"Oh... I caught a human. That's good... I'm very hungry... What?" the Sea Anemone Girl stopped, as she started sniffing the water.

"How disappointing... This one is as tasteless as it could get. I thought I smelled something delicious before... No matter. Held in this mouth, I'll suck all the semen out from you. Once nothing's left, I'll eat you... It will feel amazing... Hahaha." the Sea Anemone girl declared, finishing with a small chuckle.

Luka was still a bit farther up, trying to get to me.

I had to hold out until he got there.

I didn't bother activating my pseudo-Serene Mind.

I was already in her grasp, and there was no chance I would be able to free myself before Luka arrived.

I idly wished I had my dagger...

Maybe I could have cut myself free with that, mercy be damned.

Instead, I had to make it as hard as possible for her to drag me inside her open mouth.

I swam diagonally downwards, away from her, and grabbed a hold of a big rock embedded in the sea floor.

"It's useless to struggle... You're only delaying the inevitable... Now, come here!" she ordered, as more tentacles grabbed me, one of them shooting towards my crotch.

I grabbed that one with a hand, shoving its side in my mouth, and biting as hard as I could.

"Ouch!" the Sea Anemone girl yelped in pain, despite me having failed to draw blood thanks to the gumminess of her tentacle.

It felt like trying to bite through a tire, only it tasted like sushi.

I was simultaneously thankful and disgusted by that, keeping a hold of the appendage in my teeth.

"Why you! Let go of me! I'm the one that's supposed to be eating you!" she roared indignantly.

I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of her statement, if not for the fact my heart was desperately pumping adrenaline throughout my system.

Finally, she pulled with all her strenght, making me lose my grip on the rock.

It was time for plan B.

I swam towards her at the fastest speed I could muster, using her own strenght against her, and sending a karate-chop towards her temple instead of a fist, cutting through the water's resistance as much as possible.

She accused the blow, holding her head in pain, before I threw another one at her midsection.

Ignoring the pain, more tentacles wrapped around me, finally immobilizing me.

"There. Finally. I'm going to take my time eating you... Go into a trance..." she ordered, as her energy surged through her tentacles

However I felt nothing.

I had no energy she could throw in disarray, after all.

"What?" the monster dumbly said, looking at my still focused expression, as I desperately tried to wriggle free.

"How could you possibly resist my power!? No more games, I'll just eat you right now!" she yelled fearfully, as her lower mouth opened, and her tentacles started drawing me in, despite my struggles.

Just as I was about to enter the pink flesh inside of her, however...

"Haaa!" Luka yelled, as he stabbed through the Sea Anemone Girl's chest like a bullet, in an underwater Thunder Thrust.

"What is this...? Kyaa!" the Sea Anemone Girl shrieked, as her body dissolved into particles, freeing me from her grasp.

I let out a few ragged breaths.

That had been WAY too close!

"Thanks buddy, she was starting to get a little too clingy for my taste." I gratefully quipped, patting Luka's shoulder.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" Luka inquired in a worried tone, inspecting my body for wounds.

"Nah. You got here just in time man. Seriously, thank you." I assured.

"How did you manage to resist her magic? I saw her trying to entrance you, I was really worried." Luka questioned.

"I guess she probably was weaker than she thought or something. Anyway, we should probably get back to our quest." I concluded, feeling guilty about the lie, but there was no way I could tell the truth, as Ilias was still watching, even underwater.

Luka looked at me strangely for a moment, before sighing in relief.

"Whew... There sure are a lot of monsters in the sea." he commented.

"But there's a lot of things to eat... It's a nice place, I like it." Alice said as she reappeared, eating a fish.

I was just glad I was not on the menu.

"Anyway, we're on the sea floor at least. Now, where is this temple...?" Luka questioned, looking around.

In the distance, we could barely make out the outline of a building on the bottom of the ocean.

Bingo.

"Ah, that must be it. Let's go, Alice, Daniel." Luka declared, before stopping for a moment, as Alice didn't move.

"Oh, is something wrong?" Luka asked her, as she stared at the sealed monster on a rock.

"That Sea Anemone... I wonder if it tastes good." she thought aloud.

"Ehhhh..." I trailed off uncomfortably.

Both my friends turned to look at me in shock.

"What!? she tried to eat me first! I was only trying to defend myself!" I protested.

"...Let's just go, Alice." Luka said, after a moment of silence, as Alice looked at me with envy at having tasted something she couldn't.

I would have liked to see the Sea Anemone Girl's face if she had been pulled instead.

We swam the rest of the way to the temple in silence.

~– ~ – ~

"Is this the temple?" Luka asked aloud, as we entered the marble structure.

It looked pretty well maintained for being at the bottom of the ocean.

"What kind of monster is the Queen at the bottom of the sea?" Luka asked.

"I believe the Queen who rules the southern seas is from the Kraken family. I left the governance of this part of the ocean completely up to her." Alice explained as she ate a shellfish she had picked up on the way.

As we moved further along, a dim light started to move through the temple, carried by a monster's presence.

I hid behind a column, trying to keep cover.

"What's that...?" Luka asked.

"Hrm. An interesting monster." Alice declared.

"Eh...? Monster?" Luka started frowning, as the light came into view, carried by a monster looking like an anglerfish with a silent blind girl embedded on it.

The monster was silent, as she slowly swam towards Luka.

"This is a monster who lives on the sea floor... It lures in prey by the light at the top of her head. Whether her prey is a man or something else, she absorbs it through her skin and makes it her food." Alice explained, for once without disappearing.

"That... Wait, aren't you going to run away like usual, Alice?" Luka pointed out.

"Since she lives at the bottom of the sea, she's blind. So there's no reason for me to hide." Alice said as she slowly backed away.

"...I'll give you a hint. She locates her prey by temperature. If you want to fight her, you'll need to make your body temperature the same as the water." she provided.

"I'm not cold blooded! I'm a human!" Luka protested at the useless hint, as the Anglerfish Girl approached with an expressionless face.

"Don't attack her from the front! She can absorb attacks there! Keep to her back, and struggle if she catches you!" I yelled from my hiding spot.

"What...? Alright." Luka accepted, before enacting my strategy.

As Luka slashed her back however, the Anglerfish Girl suddenly rotated, and rammed into Luka, making him sink into her skin.

"Uwaaa! Ge.. Get off!" he yelled, struggling fiercely, but the Anglerfish Girl's expression was unaffected.

Thankfully, he soon managed to free himself, and finished the fight with a last quick backstab, making the monster silently turn into a normal anglerfish.

"Hrm. Are you finished? I went ahead a little bit and found where the Queen is. You're almost there. I'm tired of eating fish. Hurry up and finish this." Alice declared as she reentered the room.

"Yeah, let's finish this. Thanks for the advice Daniel." Luka said gratefully.

"No problem. You did all the work." I said, idly wondering why the Anglerfish girl had ignored me the whole time.

Maybe she didn't just use her heat-sense, and also perceived Luka's energy?

He was far more appetible then I was for monsters, after all.

"You knew about this kind of monster too, despite them only living on the bottom of the ocean?" Alice questioned in a slightly impressed tone.

"I used to read a lot back home..." I replied truthfully, wincing lightly at the sudden homesickness.

"I see..." Alice simply said, before we proceeded towards the Queen.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we reached the bottom of the temple, entering a giant hall.

At the end of it was a powerful presence I could feel observing us.

Alice was already gone, as Luka addressed the Kraken.

She looked mostly squid-like in nature, with both legs and hair made of tentacles, but the rest of her body was that of a woman with large breasts, wearing only a few golden jewels.

"Are you the Queen of the Southern Seas?" Luka politely inquired.

"...Yes, that is correct. I am entrusted by the Monster Lord to rule over these Southern Seas. Now human... What business do you have here in this undersea temple?" the Queen questioned.

"Um... I'm a Hero that... " Luka started, but at this point I intervened.

I knew this was a fight he could not win without relying on his hidden power, but that power also damaged him.

He also wouldn't learn anything from this battle, as he would be asleep for most of it.

"We're here to deliver a marriage pledge for a couple that could not make the journey themselves." I hastily declared, pointing at the document in Luka's hands.

"Wah! Where did you come from!?" the Queen of the Southern Sea startled.

Right, she was a bit of an airhead...

"I was here the whole time..." I said in an exasperated tone.

"You must be a thief after the Orb, to hide your aura so thoroughly! I'll..." the monster started.

"What Orb? You want my Ball of Guidance!? No way, that is mine!" I said, while pointing at the orb in Luka's hands, confusing her enough for her to stop.

Luka just looked at me in befuddlement.

"You already stole the Orb!? No way, I still have it here! Wait, that's not the Orb..." the Kraken trailed off.

"Ahem, as my friend said, we're here to deliver this pledge on behalf of a couple in Port Natalia." Luka repeated, holding up the document.

"So that was the case... So you are not after the Orb?" the Queen said, asking for confirmation.

"I told you, the Ball of Guidance is mine, it's our payment!" I repeated in an annoyed tone.

"I see... I shall receive the pledge of marriage. Now Hero, who is it that you are marrying? Is it that silver-haired one?" she asked, pointing at Alice, as she had appeared in the room herself after seeing we weren't gonna fight.

Ha! Nobody can beat my kung-fool! I proudly thought.

"...N...No! I said we were delivering it for someone else!" Luka stammered, blushing heavily at the thought of him and Alice together.

D'awww... He really was such a puppy.

"...Of course not, you idiot." alice insulted the Queen, hiding her own embarassment.

Ah, young love...

"I was asked by a Mermaid to deliver it to you... Here, this is the pledge." Luka said after settling down a little.

"Deliver...? How come the couple themselves didn't come? Children these days... I guess it doesn't matter. The law doesn't specifically say the people getting married have to bring it I guess." The Kraken shrugged, as she took the pledge from Luka's hands.

Luka was silent, looking worriedly at the Queen.

"About that, this is just my opinion, but that being the case, maybe you should think of a different trial? I mean if things stay like this, either more people will entrust their marriage pledges to others, thus making the trial pointless, or they will only be able to marry if they are strong. It feels unfair to those that have neither strenght, or coin to hire someone, despite their love being important to them... I understand that this is tradition, and I don't want to offend your culture, but I just feel like this is a bit cruel to the weak..." I timidly interjected.

The Kraken looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, before her eyes widened slightly, as she seemed to realize something.

"I see... I will consider your proposal. By the way, I have a question. Did you happen to meet a Mermaid with silver hair and blue eyes a few days ago?" she suddenly asked.

"Eh?" I dumbly let out, before realizing what she was talking about.

"Uhm... Yeah? Is there a problem with that still? I thought she decided to let me go... Do I have to pay a fine or something?" I nervously inquired.

The Kraken's eyes widened again, before she narrowed them thoughtfully.

"...No, I was just curious. At any rate, the pledge has been delivered. As Queen of the Southern Seas, I declare Meia and her husband married. Now, take this pledge ring. Wearing this ring on your finger, you will always remember the pledge of marrieage to your partner. No matter the difficulty, you must always support each other. Now, I shall give you the Queen's blessing." the Queen of the Southern Seas spoke as if reciting from a book, as she handed Luka a small golden band.

"Hmph. I'll give them the Monster Lord's blessing too." Alice declared.

"Oh! I'll give them a Hero's blessing, too!" Luka added.

"...Well, now I just feel left out." I lamely finished.

Not more than the missing blessed couple though, I inwardly snickered.

"By the way... Are you possibly...?" the Queen started, looking at Alice.

"...I'm nobody important. I'm just a traveling gourmet who passed by on a whim." Alice declared.

"Incredible. Coming to the bottom of the sea in search of food! Unfortunately, there is nothing too amazing to eat down here." the Queen said, ignoring the fact Alice had already admitted to being the Monster Lord when she gave her blessings.

I was really starting to wonder if she was just screwing with us...

That would have been awesome.

"Well, our business here is done. I don't want to spend any more time here, so I'm going back." Alice declared, starting to move out of the room.

"Alright, it's time to go back... But do I have to go back through that light tunnel? It was pretty troublesome coming down..." Luka complained.

"You don't need to return that way. As an apology from before, I shall send you to the surface." the Kraken declared.

"Can you not? I was really looking forward to swimming back... I love beng able to breath underwater..." I pleaded before Luka could agree, looking back and forth between the Ball of Guidance in his hands and the Queen.

The Queen looked at me for a moment with a surprised face.

Then, suddenly, her expression softened.

"I see... Another man who loves the sea..." she trailed off, in a sad voice.

Huh?

"Very well. I shall use my magic to make you able to breath underwater on the way back, even without the Ball of Guidance. That will be fine, won't it?" she proposed.

"Thank you very much. I appreciate it." I said gratefully.

"Think nothing of it. You did help deliver the pledge for that couple." she said dismissingly, before her energy surged, overwriting the effect the spell of the Ball of Guidance had on my physique with a significantly more powerful one.

"Then, I shall send off the Hero now." she declared.

"Thank you, that will help m... Eh?" Luka stopped as the kraken's tentacles wrapped around him.

"I think dry land is that way..." the Queen said in a pensive tone.

I was already fighting not to snicker.

Then Luka's face lit up with realization, making me smile even more.

"Excuse me... You wouldn't possible be..." Luka started in a worried tone.

"I am delighted at humans and monsters being able to love each other. If there is anything else you need to discuss with me, please feel free to come to this temple again. Goodbye!" The Queen concluded, before launching my friend like a missile through the water at a perfect sixty-degree angle.

Impressive precision, I thought.

That looked like something practiced.

I idly wondered if it was.

I laughed out loud at my friend's predicament, as I prepared to follow after him.

The Kraken looked at my retreating form with a strange expression.

She may have whispered something, but I didn't hear it.

I swam towards the shore at my fastest speed, feeling like a goddamn superhero all the way.

~– ~ – ~

I managed to catch up to Luka as Alice neared his twitching, crumpled form on the beach.

"What a funny Queen." Alice commented, amused by Luka's misfortune.

"I agree! Good work hiring her for the job. She's hilarious!" I praised.

"Uhhgg..." Luka groaned, still on the ground and covered in sand.

Alice just sighed in contempt.

After he recovered (a couple meditations and he was good to go) we moved back to Meia's house.

~– ~ – ~

Luka recounted the story of our successful venture, as Meia's now official husband was out fishing.

Alice was out at the local market, looking for some more food.

"...And then I delivered the pledge to the Queen. Here, this is the Pledge Ring." Luka concluded, as he handed over the small golden band.

"T... Thank you so much!" Meia said, taking the ring with a bright smile on her face.

"My darling will be really happy with this... Now I need to reward you..." she started.

"You already did repay us remember? We'll be taking the Ball of Guidance as promised." I interjected.

She looked disappointed for a moment, before accepting my argument.

"Then, next time you come to town, please stop by again. I want to give you another reward..." she said, looking hungrily at Luka.

"Al... Alright..." Luka automatically replied in an uncomfortable tone, before we left her house.

I did feel a bit sorry for Meia, but she already had a husband.

And she had already stretched things a bit with her stopping his growth with magic, so I hoped she would avoid abusing her partner's trust like that again...

~– ~ – ~

Luka was silent on the way to Alice, probably thinking of Meia's last look at him.

"...What's wrong? Your face looks funny." Alice insulted him, as she approached us from the side.

"Geh! Alice!" Luka startled, snapping out of his reverie.

"W...What? Why are you so surprised? Did you do something bad...?" Alice inquired, narrowing her eyes.

"Nope. But they both thought about it. You're welcome by the way." I grinned, making Luka stammer incoherently with a blush on his face.

"I see... Maybe I should do something about that..." Alice pondered, looking at Luka with a hungry expression.

He just blushed even more, sputtering nonsense.

"Just remember. One minute." I reminded her.

"You, and your ridiculous senses..." Alice sighed.

"A-Anyway... Isn't it a wonderful thing for man and monster to be in love like that?" Luka asked, trying to change the argument.

"...But I am happy. It's good to know that the bond between monsters and humans hasn't been completely severed." Alice agreed with a smile.

"You had any doubts? Humans may be dumb, but not all of us are cruel. There are sympathetic ones too. In fact, I don't think it's possible for that bond to truly be severed in the first place. As long as one human still wishes for coexistence, it can and will happen." I declared.

"Yeah! Right!? Hehehehehehe..." Luka giggled happily.

Alice looked like she wanted to shut him up for a moment, but she just sighed again, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

That night, Alice did wait for a minute before starting.

Thankfully I was fast enough to move out of range in time...


	25. Chapter 25: Looking for answers

The day after we were on the road again.

"Let's head to the haunted mansion to the north." Luka declared as he opened his map.

Alice silently glared at him, but he didn't notice.

We started walking soon after.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, I mentally reviewed what we would find there.

First, obviously, Chrome and her Zombies, plus the various monsters that naturally inhabited the place, some of which we would only face later, if they were even present now.

Then there were the ghosts of Frederika and many others.

I idly wondered if I would be able to sense them as well.

It would have helped confirm my theory about souls and Light energy.

Then there was Promestein...

I honestly had no idea what to do about her.

I could not predict what she would do If I caught her interest.

Not only was she most likely already overwhelmingly powerful, she was also possibly still untouchable to all but Angel Halo as a complete Angel.

She wasn't likely to overtly interfere with Ilias' plans for Luka, but if she managed to gleam something from my physique...

If there was anyone in this world that could discover my secret, it was her.

That terrified me.

In the end, I concluded that the best possible thing I could have done was hide from her, hoping Luka would not question my motivations.

~– ~ – ~

We arrived at the mansion as night started falling.

The atmosphere was about as eerie as I expected around the old, dilapidated building.

"...It's bigger than I thought. There's also a really creepy atmosphere... What's wrong Alice?" Luka suddenly asked our straight-faced companion.

She just stayed silent.

"Hey, look... There's a graveyard over there." he added, pointing to a small cemetery on the side of the house.

"I already saw that! But even then, I didn't mention it! Why are you pointing out obvious things!? You don't understand a woman's heart at all!" Alice shrieked.

Luka looked at her in confusion for a second, before turning back to the house and startling.

"Hrm...? Alice, did you see that!? There's a small girl in that window on the second floor!" he said, noticing Chrome's silhouette by the window.

I had already sensed her aura, however, so I wasn't surprised.

"Aieee!" Alice shrieked again, hiding behind Luka's back.

"Alice... By any chance... Are you scared of ghosts?" he asked her in sudden realization.

Good god, he was dense.

Thankfully I was here to keep these two dumb lovebirds together.

"O... Of course not! The only thing I'm scared of is hunger!" Alice declared.

"I see... Then let's go inside." Luka declared.

...Did he actually fall for that?

I facepalmed.

"I won't! Have you forgotten what you set out as a Hero to do? Why are you wasting your time playing here!?" Alice yelled angrily.

However, her snake half betrayed her true feelings, as it shivered incontrollably.

"The people of San Ilia are scared of this house. It's also the role of a Hero to help the townspeople. Certainly you, the Monster lord aren't afraid of ghosts?" Luka questioned.

"O... Of course I'm not! Don't be ridiculous!" Alice scoffed with a twitching expression.

Pride: the ultimate steroid.

"Then, let's go." Luka finished, turning to the house.

"Aaa..." Alice weakly agreed, as we entered the dilapidated house.

~– ~ – ~

"It looks really creepy..." Luka commented, as we entered the main hall.

Alice was silently slithering behind him, while I looked around, still concentrating on my sixth sense.

"What's that!?" Luka yelled, having seen a shadow move at the corner of his eye.

I felt the dark energy emanating from it, as I hid behind a column.

"Aie! G... Ghost!?" Alice fearfully said, as the monster revealed itself.

It looked like a girl with black hair that seemed to cover her entire body except for her face and chest, her legs nonexistent.

Around her floated many disembodies hands.

She was also almost transparent.

"...Oh, it's a Ghost Girl. I thought it was a ghost." Alice sighed in relief.

"Uh... What's the difference...?" Luka inquired.

"A Ghost girl is born from a collection of souls mixing with magic power. It's much different than something unscientific like a normal ghost. Finish this quickly." Alice said, before vanishing.

I considered her words together with my previous theory.

So, souls seemingly DID exist.

But what did that mean?

How did they affect the physical realm?

I needed more time to understand.

"Human energy... I'll suck it all up..." the Ghost Girl moaned hungrily.

"No!" Luka denied, as he took a fighting stance.

He rushed forward, slashing the monster with his blade.

"Good... My attacks can hit." Luka commented, looking at his sword.

"Your penis is warm..." the Ghost Girl said, pushing her breasts on Luka's crotch, even through his clothes.

Luka slashed at her again, cutting her incorporeal form with his sword.

However the monster used the opportunity to grab him with her floating hands, pinning him to the ground.

"I'll violate you like this... I'll take all of your energy..." she moaned, but Luka managed to break free before she could make good on her words.

"Don't you want me to violate you?" the monster questioned seductively, as Luka suddenly turned around, running up the wall for a Demon Skull Beheading.

He dealt a crushing blow to his opponent's head, her form starting to dissipate.

"My... Power..." The Ghost Girl lamented, before turning into a strange, floating light that soon disappeared.

Interesting, I thought.

"Whew... Is it over?" Luka said, wiping his forehead and sheathing his sword.

He looked around for a moment, seeing me, but not Alice.

"...Where did that girl go...? We can't just wait around here... Let's keep looking around." he proposed.

I followed behind him, as we started to explore the house.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, we passed by a room filled with various artworks.

"Hmm...? What's this strange feeling?" Luka said, noticing a japanese-styled life-sized doll knocked over on the floor.

I could feel a dark aura emanating from it.

I hid behind a sofa, as the doll suddenly moved.

"Big bro... Play... with me..." the Cursed Doll said in a soft voice, floating in midair with a smile on her face.

"Are you a monster too!?" Luka said as he took a fighting stance.

He opened with a Thunder thrust, scratching the doll's surface, and she countered with a playful hug.

Luka slashed at her again, as she put a hand in his pants.

He jumped back, and ran up a wall, executing a Demon Skull beheading, cracking the monster's head.

However the doll was not done yet.

"I want to play more..." she said, as her hair expanded and wrapped around Luka, restraining him.

"Guh... What is this!?" Luka exclaimed, feeling his energy being drained, as he started trying to break free.

"I'll play with you now, big bro... Teehee... I won't let go, big bro... Hehehe..." " she said, as her hair lowered Luka's pants, coiling around his member.

"Ohh..." Luka grimaced at the stimulation.

"Big bro... Are you having fun?" the doll gloated playfully.

"Damn you...!" Luka yelled, as he finally managed to cut the hair with his sword, breaking free from her grasp.

"Don't you want to play big bro?" the doll pleaded in a heartbroken tone, before Luka slashed her a final time, finishing the fight.

"More... I wanted to play..." the doll lamented, as her energy dissipated, leaving behind an empty husk.

"Whew. So there are monsters like that, too..." Luka commented.

"Looks like it... It's kind of sad isn't it?" I pointed out.

"Yeah... Let's just move on." Luka agreed, before we went up some stairs.

~– ~ – ~

We finally found Alice cowering in a corner inside the first room we entered.

"...What are you doing? Oi, Alice... Did something happen?" Luka asked her.

She didn't react, seemingly frozen in fear, before a voice moaned behind us, a dark presence getting closer.

"Hyaaaaaa!" Alice startled, starting to slither around in panicked circles, before slamming on the floor as she somehow stumbled on something, making a desk and a bookcase crash onto the floor.

How she managed that with a snake body, I had no idea...

A small picture fell by Luka's feet, and he picked it up.

"Hyaaa! ...That girl. That girl!" Alice's eyes widened as she looked at the picture of a young woman whose name I knew to be Frederika.

"Do you know this girl...?" Luka asked her.

"Haaa..." Alice weakly voiced, before starting to panic again.

The next moment, the presence I had felt entered the room.

Even though I had expected it, I couldn't help but gag at the sight of a dead body covered in blood moving in front of me, the foul smell of rot violating my nostrils.

"Hyaaaa!" Alice shrieked.

"Uooooohhh..." the elfine Zombie girl moaned.

"...Oh it's just a normal Zombie Girl." Alice stopped, before knocking her head clean off her shoulders with a punch.

I could not hold my nausea anymore, as I vomited in a corner.

"Sheesh. Don't surprise me like that." Alice scoffed.

"Oi, oi..." Luka said, as he pat my back with his hand, showing his support.

"Hmm...?" Alice let out as the floor under her started to crumble, unable to hold itself together after her previous rampage.

"Ah. Uwaaa!" she yelped, as she fell through the floor in a cartoonish manner.

That made me feel a little better.

"Eh...?" Luka said, turning towards the sound of footsteps approaching.

I braced myself for more nausea, finishing to clean up and raising my facemask to cover my nose.

"Uuu...Uhhhh..." the second Zombie girl moaned, as she entered the room.

"Another one!?" Luka yelled, before stabbing forward.

"Aim at the head!" I yelled, as he adjusted his swing to do as I said, trusting my judgement.

The blow was satisfying, but the monster was resilient.

"Semen... Want..." the Zombie moaned, throwing Luka to the ground.

"Thirst... Cure..." she lamented, as she tried to lower Luka's pants.

However, Luka easily shook her off and attacked her again.

"It doesn't look like she's very strong..." Luka commented.

"Yeah, but she's resilient. Zombies are like that. You need to concentrate your attacks on their brain so that they can't move anymore." I lectured.

"Alright. Here I go!" Luka declared, finishing the fight with a Demon Skull Beheading.

"Aaa..." the Zombie Girl moaned a last time, as a bright light escaped her.

Her once again lifeless body collapsed to the floor.

"Whew..." Luka sighed in relief.

"Don't relax yet! There's more of them!" I warned, feeling more presences approaching us.

"No way... More?" Luka asked in disbelief, as multiple Zombies poured into the room.

"Why are there so many Zombies...? What the hell is going on in this house!?" Luka shouted fearfully.

"There's gotta be a Necromancer around here. I can feel a powerful presence somewhere." I provided, feeling Chrome's aura down below us.

"Guh... Now is not the time to think about that!" Luka said, as he started wailing on his opponents.

This time I helped too, cringing at the feeling of punching their cold, dead flesh.

Luka got caught one time, but he managed to free himself soon after.

He finished the fight soon after, sealing the last Zombie.

"Uuh... Aah..." the Zombie moaned, before falling to the floor, joining the others.

"Haa... Haa... What's with this Zombie infestation?" Luka breathed, as I hid from view of the door, feeling Chrome getting closer.

The figure of a little girl wearing a small black nurse uniform, with two purple glowing horns growing on her head appeared through the doorway a second later.

"Ah! My experiments!" she yelled, looking at the pile of bodies.

"Who are you!?" Luka demanded.

"Wawawa!?" Chrome yelped, before running away from Luka.

"Wait!" He yelled as he ran out of the room.

I followed after him, as he entered the main hall once again.

Chrome and Frederika's Zombie body were there waiting for him.

I hid behind the door, waiting for a chance to sneak attack if needed.

"What's with you? Why are you going crazy in my laboratory?" Chrome asked.

"No, what's with YOU? What the hell are you doing in here...?" Luka retorted, looking at the little girl and the huge Zombie.

"My name is Chrome. I'm a Necromancer. This place was an execution ground, then a graveyard. Since there are so many corpses, it's great for my experiments." Chrome explained.

"Experiments...? What are you trying to do?" Luka inquired.

"I said I was a Necromancer. I'm experimenting on the dead. This girl, the daughter of the rich guy who owned this place, is a particularly good specimen. I want to reanimate the dead into something even more powerful than normal monsters!" the Necromancer declared.

"...So you created those Zombies from before, too?" Luka asked.

"Of course I did. That stupid Ghost Girl came in by herself, but the Zombies were all my creations." the little girl stated pridefully.

"You created them all!? Stop your horrible experiments at once! Otherwise...!" Luka demanded in an enraged tone, pointing his sword at Chrome.

"Hmph. I still have a lot of things to test. I'll make a nuisance like you into a new experiment! Get him Frederika!" Chrome ordered her creation, as Frederika's corpse started shambling towards Luka.

"You made this too... Damn you!" Luka cursed.

" Hehe... So you noticed. Frederika is my masterpiece. The elegant rich girl's pure body was excellent raw material to create a magnificent Zombie." the girl gloated.

"Unforgivable! Defiling a girl's body after her death... Making her into such a creature!" Luka said in a furious tone.

Chrome looked unimpressed.

"Hmph. I don't care about what you have to say. Go Frederika! Make him go insane!" she commanded, before moving back a bit.

"Understood... Master..." Frederika complied.

"Gah..." Luka grimaced, before taking a fighting stance.

He charged forward with a Thunder Thrust, his sword penetrating the dead flesh.

However his opponent appeared unphased.

"Squeeze him with your breasts." Chrome ordered.

"Understood..." Frederika complied, before falling on top of Luka, her huge breasts crushing him.

He recovered from the unexpected blow, slashing at his opponent again.

I started moving silently, trying to sneak up on Chrome.

"Let him taste the pleasure of your thighs!" The necromancer ordered.

"Understood, master..." Frederika complied, grabbing Luka between her legs.

He slashed her again, and stepped back, as his opponent spoke again.

"Please... me..." Frederika voiced weakly.

"Eh...?" Luka let out.

"Please... Kill... Me..." she whispered.

"What...?" Luka said in confusion.

"I don't want... This... Please... Kill..." she pleaded.

"Frederika..." Luka called out in a sad tone.

"What are you blabbering about? Frederika! Use... Waah!" Chrome started, before I interrupted her by lifting her from behind.

"Booh." I deadpanned.

"Ahhh! Where did you come from!?" the little girl fearfully demanded.

"I'm a ghost. Shouldn't you know all about them as a Necromancer?" I questioned, grinning maliciously.

"Kyaaa! Let go!" she yelled, as she started struggling.

"Now, Luka!" I shouted.

"No more... Please... Free me..." Frederika pleaded again.

"...! I understand!" Luka said resolutely, before running up a wall and hitting Frederika's body with a Demon Skull beheading.

The zombie herself seemed to lean into the blow, magnifying its strenght.

"Thank... You..." Frederika whispered gratefully, as she collapsed on the ground, a bright light escaping her.

"Whew... Ah! The floor!" Luka said, as the floorboards around him started cracking from the impact they had received from his last move.

"Not good! Crap!" he cursed.

"Wawawa! My laboratory!" Chrome lamented.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, as we all fell down into the darkness.

~– ~ – ~

The impact was pretty painful, but I managed not to break anything.

During the fall, however, Chrome had managed to escape my grasp.

"Where is this...?" Luka wondered aloud, looking at the catacombs surrounding us.

"What the hell did you do!?" Chrome yelled angrily, making Luka take a step back.

I hid myself behind a coffin.

"First you beat Frederika, next you break the floor of my laboratory! She was my ultimate masterpiece!" the little girl complained.

"...A corpse isn't your toy. I won't forgive you for breaking the tranquil sleep of the dead!" Luka declared.

"You science hater! Corpses are just lifeless things! If you're going to be like that, I'll be your opponent!" Chrome declared, as her energy surged.

"You... Are you going to fight!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Did you think I was weaker than my Zombies? I'll show you the power of a Necromancer!" the girl proclaimed, as she now floated in the air.

Luka opened the fight as usual, with a sharp thrust.

Chrome accused the blow, but still floated backwards, before speaking up.

"For a skilled Necromancer, it's easy to summon the dead..." she said, as her energy entered the corpses below the ground, before they started moving.

"What is this!? Ahhhh!" Luka yelled out, as a multitude of arms pulled at him from below the ground.

"Hahaha... Can you endure it? The only thing those hands desire is for their thirst to be quenched by your semen..." Chrome taunted, as she commanded more and more Zombies to swarm Luka.

He slashed at her again, keeping up the pressure.

"You... Don't get carried away!" Chrome said, her energy surging again.

"What...? Uwaaa!" Luka said, as more and more arms grabbed his body, pinning him to the ground.

"Hehehe... I'll deal with you while you're like that." Chrome gloated, floating closer to Luka as he started struggling.

"Hehehe... Now, I'll violate you... just lay there quietly... I'll take a sample with my pussy..." Chrome said, sitting on top of Luka.

However, just as she started to lower his pants, Luka managed to free one arm, knocking her away.

"You stupid virgin!" she yelled angrily.

But before she could say anything else, I hit her head with both hands from behind, as she had been sent right in my direction.

"Auuuu...!" she let out, as the blow broke her concentration, the dead now free from her influence.

"You! What kind of person punches a little girl!? You bastard!" she yelled at me with tears in her eyes, before turning fearful at Luka's enraged expression.

"I'lll... I'll let you go with just that today!" she shouted back, as she quickly started running away.

"Wait! Don't run!" Luka yelled, as he chased behind her.

However, the catacombs were too dark, and he soon lost track of her.

"...We lost her. Damn, where did she run off to?" Luka asked, before noticing a shadow cowering behind one of the coffins.

"I found you! Give up!" he yelled out, but when he looked behind the stone box...

He found the missing Alice instead, paralyzed in fear.

"Hey... Alice..." he softly started.

"I'MSOSORRYI'MSOSORRY! An evil god, the first Monster Lord, I don't care! Just please help me! I won't do bad things anymore! I won't bully the Kitsunes either! I won't pull on their ears! Or step on their tails! Or steal their fried tofu!" Alice shrieked fearfully.

She really had a grudge against those foxes huh?

"Alice, the bad person is that girl... She's making Zombies here. Did you see that girl run by here...?" Luka gently inquired.

And then I just about pissed myself in fear, feeling Alice's energy surge in terrifying, hellish wrath.

"She's the bad one...? Are you sure...?" Alice asked in a low tone, slowly turning towards Luka with bright, pupilless eyes.

"That girl made this house her laboratory..." Luka started.

"It's her fault that I was like that! I won't forgive her! Get out here!" the Monster Lord demanded in a furious tone, her energy launching towards Chrome's hiding spot, making the coffin she was hiding in fucking DISINTEGRATE!

"Fugya!" Chrome yelped, jumping out of the ashes of her hiding spot.

"Hiding in such a place..." Luka trailed off, as Alice quickly advanced towards the small Necromancer and started slapping her with her tail.

"Who are you!? Another gho... Gafu! Geha!" Chrome recoiled at the painful blows.

"It's your fault!" Alice yelled as she kept slapping her.

"Ahh! Stop! Wawa! I'm sorry!" Chrome apologised as she started crying.

"Calm down, Alice! She's still just a girl..." Luka tried to pacify her.

"Hmph. Just because a monster looks young, it doesn't mean they really are. This girl is 100 years older than I am." Alice declared.

It was likely true, if her aura was any indication.

"You shouldn't hurt your elders then. Now Chrome, apologise to Alice." Luka chided.

"...I'm sorry." Chrome quickly apologised.

"It's good to be so devoted to something... But you can't treat corpses like toys. It's also very bad to create Zombies like this. If you keep that up, the big mean snake lady will get angry again." Luka spoke, as if scolding a small child.

"...I'm sorry, I'll be good..." Chrome weakly acquiesced.

"If you understand then get the hell out of here!" Alice yelled out, still angry.

"Wawawa! I will!" Chrome yelped, before running away.

"Sheesh... So she was cause of all the crap in this mansion? The townspeople saw the Zombies and must have thought they were ghosts. How stupid! Ghosts don't exist!" Alice deduced.

"Is that really what you believe...?" Luka softly muttered, before Frederika's transparent silhouette appeared before us.

I could not sense her aura despite my awareness having been focused on my sixth sense during the whole conversation in anticipation.

Was my theory wrong?

"F... Frederika...?" Luka stammered.

"Thank you, Hero... Now my... No, our souls have been saved..." Frederika spoke gratefully, as another shape appeared.

"With our bodies turned into Zombies, our souls were bound here... But now, we're finally free..." a transparent man said.

"Even if I'm just a soul, I can finally return... The homeland I've missed so much... San Ilia..." the ghost of the first Zombie we fought said, as all around us, thousands of souls drifted toward the sky.

"Thank you, Hero... Thanks to you, we're finally free..." they all thanked Luka, as they ascended towards the surface.

Finally, all of them vanished.

I stopped concentrating on my magic sense, and for a moment, I felt their energies leaving my range.

What?

Why had I not sensed them earlier?

That didn't make any sense!

I could perceive their energy passively, but I couldn't focus on it?

How did that even work?

"Now they can finally rest peacefully... Isn't that great, Alice?" Luka questioned.

However, Alice did not respond.

"Alice? Hey! Alice!?" Luka exclaimed, as he turned to face the Monster Lord who had passed out from fright.

I facepalmed and followed behind Luka, as he carried her unconscious body out of the house.

~– ~ – ~

"It's already morning? Sheesh, this girl is so heavy..." Luka complained as we left the house, stepping into the morning light.

Immediately, I hid myself in a bush, as I had felt an Angel's aura outside of the gates.

"Excuse me... Do you have some business here? I don't think there are any ghosts left..." Luka politely inquired to the normal-looking woman with red hair, wearing a white labcoat.

"I see. So Chrome left?" Promestein inquired.

"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed, surprised by the woman knowing Chrome's name.

"Tch. I came all this way to deliver her some new tech, too. Well whatever. That stupid Necromancer still pulled off something. Putting the Monster lord in such a state..." Promestein commented in amusement, as she eyed Alice's unconscious form.

"...!? Just who are you?" Luka demanded.

Promestein ignored him, simply staying silent.

Just when I thought she was about to leave, however...

"...You there. Come out." she calmly requested, looking in my direction.

My blood froze in my veins.

How!?

Even Alice couldn't sense me, and she was far stronger than Promestein herself!

I stepped out of my hiding spot, desperately trying not to let my panic show.

Suddenly, Promestein's eyes widened, before she narrowed them thoughtfully.

"Interesting... What are you?" she asked me in a curious tone.

"A human, as far as I know. Though I do have a monster parent." I lied.

"I see... A mutation then? However, it's likely useless... You have no magic, do you?" the Angel questioned.

"None that can be sensed. In fact, I'd like to know how you managed to find me." I said, trying to obtain more information for myself.

"So you don't know? I see... Well, I'd like to research your body thoroughly, but my schedule is swamped, and I have other priorities. Your mutation is likely useless to my current goals regardless. I will find you later." the scientist declared, before turning to leave.

I did not dare to press any further, despite her casual attitude, simply watching her walk away.

Luka just stared at the scene in confusion.

"Daniel, do you know who that woman was?" he inquired.

"No idea. But she's dangerous." I half-lied.

Indeed, though Ilias was more powerful and had managed to manipulate even her, in my mind Promestein had always been the real threat...

Soon after that, we moved away from the haunted house, walking towards San Ilia.

~– ~ – ~

The scene we found there was absurd enough Luka had no words to describe it, limiting himself to look around silently.

"Ohhh... My dear San Ilia! I've finally found a quiet place for my soul to rest!" a disembodied soul said.

"It seems as though all the souls have gathered back here! Even though my hometown is on the southern continent, this seems like a nice town too." another commented.

All around the streets, more ghosts were walking around in broad daylight.

The spectacle was pretty damn surreal.

I also could sense their energy, but when I tried to focus on it, it seemed to disappear from my perception again.

No matter what, I just couldn't understand why...

"I better put Alice in the Inn... If she saw this, she might not wake up again." Luka commented, as we started walking towards the local Inn.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, we were sitting in a room together, and Luka woke Alice up, before starting to explain the situation to her.

"That's how it is... There are ghosts everywhere now." he concluded.

Alice calmly closed her eyes, as a small ghost played with other children outside the window.

"...We're leaving here. That's an order." she finally declared, her eyes white and pupilless again.

"I get it... Stop looking at me with those creepy eyes." Luka acquiesced.

We started moving towards our next destination soon after.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked towards the Forest of spirits, I idly wondered what Sylph would say about me...

Would she be able to sense me like Promestein did?

How had the angel managed that in the first place?

And what was up with my aura sense and ghosts?

In the end, I found no answer to these questions, as we walked out of the city.


	26. Chapter 26: Hanging back and conversing

On the way to the Forest of Spirits, we made camp once again.

As we sat around the campfire, Luka decided to recount some of the world's lore as he knew it.

"So... That's how the fallen Angel who rebelled against Ilias came to be known as the Monster Lord." Luka said, finishing his story.

Again, his version of history was interesting, though grossly inaccurate.

Propaganda ran far in this world.

The story itself had reminded me of my own world's Christian lore.

I suppose there was a reason Ilias had chosen to use such a version of facts.

It did work wonders, back home...

"...Are you an idiot? Why are you explaining the origin of the Monster Lords to the Monster Lord?" Alice deadpanned.

"Oh yeah... That's right..."Luka said, at last remembering who he was talking to.

Damn, his cognitive dissonance was in full force today, huh?

I really hoped he would eventually grow out of it...

"Besides, monsters despise that legend. The founding Lord was never a subordinate of Ilias. The founder was an equal to her. Humans went ahead and changed the truth to fit their view." Alice continued.

"The first Monster Lord was an equal to Ilias!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"...Hmph. It looks like you're doubting me. Alright, listen. Originally, this world was just darkness and light. The light and dark mixed together, and Ilias and the founder were born. In other words, they were like yin and yang. Two sides of the same coin." Alice started.

"If they were both gods... Why did one become the Monster Lord? Instead of staying in the heavens, why would they come to the ground?" Luka questioned.

"That... I don't know. The founder must have had a reason..." Alice said uncertainly.

I knew what that reason was.

I had felt a tiny part of it for myself.

Soul-crushing, unbearable loneliness.

"So... Where is that founding Monster Lord now? If they're like this they should be immortal, right?" Luka inquired.

"...The founder entrusted the throne to the second generation of my family, and then returned to the heavens." Alice declared.

Not even she knew about the six Ancestor's seal at this point in time.

"That's not very convincing..." Luka pointed out.

"You're still doubting me!? The first Monster Lord was an equal to Ilias! You tell him Daniel! Your mother must have told you about her right!?" Alice inquired.

"Yeah. I also believe that. If nothing else, for the fact monsters were created by her." I agreed.

"Is that so? I don't know..." Luka questioned doubtfully.

"Nuuuuuu... Bah, whatever. More importantly, it's time to train again! Your ability right now doesn't even come up to the Monster Lord's foot!" Alice scoffed.

"What foot?" I quipped, looking at her tail in amusement.

Alice glared at me in response.

I just looked innocently to the side, whistling a little tune.

"I... I know..." Luka weakly acknowledged, as he rose from his seat.

"Your skill is high enough... I can teach you a great move. Today, I'll teach you an attack that throws out slashes seemingly at random." Alice declared.

"At random...?" Luka repeated in confusion.

"As for you, Daniel, I think you have become proficient enough in the Shadow Weaving steps. Today, I'll teach you a new technique as well." Alice added, turning to me.

"Alright. I'll be in your care then." I easily agreed.

"Since your internal energy is so weak, I can't really teach you that many techniques... This skill belongs to the same style as your previous one. It's called 'Broken Shadow'. It's a type of instantaneous movement technique, used to either flee, or quickly approach your opponent without them being able to keep track of you. Be warned, it's much more difficult than the previous one. It is said that masters of this skill would be able to turn any open conflict back into an assassination at a moment's notice." Alice recounted.

"I see... That sounds very useful. I would like being able to quickly hide if I'm noticed. Hit-and-run tactics suit me well." I commented, already considering the technique's implications.

"Very well. Then, the basic theory behind this skill..." Alice started, proceeding to explain the inner workings behind the move.

The grueling training started soon after.

As I practiced the movements required to perform my new technique, Alice instructed Luka on his own, his blade flying through the air in a deadly dance.

"...It seems like you're getting better. A barrage of attacks that doesn't give the opponent a chance to defend themselves. That's the Death Sword Chaos Star technique. It is said that the mute swordsman Galla turned an entire legion of knights into lumps of flesh using that technique." Alice recounted, after Luka successfully performed the skill for the first time, his sword a blur of chaotic slashes.

"Another horrible story attached to the skill..." Luka lamented.

"Usually these skills can't be learned so quickly... But since it's you, I thought it might be possible..." Alice pondered.

"Hehehehehe... so Alice is finally starting to acknowledge my ability? Hehehehehehehehehe..." Luka chuckled proudly.

"No! You idiot. Stop that creepy laughing. It's because when you fell asleep, that skill you used looked a little similar... You're such a strange person... Sheesh." Alice sighed, alluding to the Ninefold Rakshasa Luka had performed against Nanabi.

"I don't want the Monster Lord to call ME strange..." Luka grumbled.

"I also want to see more of that strange secret strenght... That power is far beyond what a human should be capable of." Alice commented.

"You... Don't think I'm really a monster, do you?" Luka questioned.

"If you had monster blood in you, I would be the first to notice... I also don't sense anything from that ring... You're really a strange person." Alice concluded, glancing at me for a moment when she talked about monster blood.

"You don't have to keep saying that!" Luka protested, before our training concluded and we both collapsed into our sleeping bags.

Even my enhanced endurance couldn't keep up with the strain of this new technique, as it utilized muscles I wasn't even fully aware I had.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, we finally reached our objective.

"Is this the Forest of Spirits?" Luka asked, as we looked at the edge of a thick forest.

I could feel the green ambient energy of wind having risen in concentration the more we got closer to it.

"Along with Sylph, there are lots of Fairies and Elves that live here. But they usually mean no harm to humans... But the Fairies can be a bit mischievous." Alice warned.

"In other words, there shouldn't be any fighting. Alright! Let's go!" Luka said, as he stepped into the forest.

I and Alice, however did not follow behind him.

"Eh? Alice? Daniel? Aren't you guys coming?" he asked, looking at our unmoving forms at the edge of the treeline.

"If the Monster Lord paraded through their forest, the Fairies would be shocked. I'll wait outside this time." Alice explained.

"What about you, Daniel?" Luka inquired.

"This is your trial to grow stronger. If I interfered with it I would risk hampering your growth, one way or another. If I help you with this, then you're gonna end up relying on ME instead of the spirits in the future. You mustn't do that. No matter what." I grimly declared.

Both Alice and Luka looked at me in surprise at my harsh tone.

"...Besides, Alice gave permission to enter the forest only to you, not me. And I think more than one human traveling inside a sacred forest is just asking for trouble." I added in a lighter tone.

"I see... I'll try to return as quickly as possible." Luka said, as he walked into the treeline, soon disappearing from our sight.

"...That was a pretty good argument. Indeed, this is a trial for him to grow stronger. But did you really mean it when you said he shouldn't be relying on you?" Alice asked after about a minute of silence.

"Of course. I'm not even remotely a reliable person, especially during a fight. I'm a selfish coward, and I know it. There's no way anyone should rely on me." I promply replied.

I meant every word.

Alice was silent for a moment, staring at me with an undecipherable expression.

"Truly, they are complete opposites..." she finally whispered, lightly shaking her head.

I couldn't agree more.

I could never compare to Luka's honest selflessness and bravery.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask. Is your mother really a monster? What kind of monster is she?" Alice inquired.

"Sorry, that's a village secret too, and one of the more important ones. But I can tell you she's an aquatic type, as you might have guessed by my love for swimming." I lied.

"I see... She must be pretty important if her identity has to be kept a secret for your village's safety... Also, if she was from Hellgondo, and indeed survived the Slaughter, she must be considerably strong..." Alice guessed.

I stayed silent, quietly looking at the forest.

"You said you had siblings? Are they monsters?" Alice inquired.

"Yeah, all three. Two older, one younger. None of them were married when I left, though they did have boyfriends." I said, only lying about the monster part.

"I see... Was it difficult for you being born a normal human in such a family?" alice continued.

"Eh, my parents were pretty happy with having a male son at first, but I soon revealed what a little shit I was compared to my sisters. I pretty much spent all my time reading or playing with my friends, when they weren't too busy as we grew up. I basically never worked a full day in my life." I explained.

"What did you spend all that time reading about?" Alice asked me.

"Whatever I could find. I had nothing better to do, especially later on. My parents tried to give me some stuff to do sometimes, my father would ask me to give him a hand in his work sometimes, mostly small, repetitive manual labors, but I never took an interest in them. I was almost a shut-in myself at one point, the only reason I ever left the house was to meet my friends or find new books." I elaborated.

Or games, I mentally added.

"What made you decide to leave then?" Alice questioned.

I was silent for moment, her words reminding me that I still had no idea why I had lost everything.

"...I don't want to talk about it." I finally declared in a voice as calm as I could muster, despite my inner raging at the unreasonableness of the world.

Alice's eyes widened for a moment, but she didn't ask again.

We spent the rest of that time silently waiting for Luka to come back.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, I felt a familiar presence approaching.

"Hmph. It looks like you got Sylph's power safely. I can see you carrying yourself differently with your new power." Alice commented, looking at Luka's form emerging from the treeline.

Inside of him, I could feel Sylph's aura.

She held a powerful green energy, but she was different from Alma Elma.

Instead of constantly releasing it in her surroundings, the energy seemed to be siphoned towards her, concentrating into a small shape filled with it.

It was like she was literally made of nothing but wind, sustained by the green energy she absorbed from everything around her, Luka included, though she also gave back even more energy to him, making it flow through his entire body.

"You can tell? I knew you would be able to tell. Wahaha! Hahahahaha!" Luka laughed loudly.

"...Sh...Shut up!" Alice commanded in an embarrassed tone.

"Thank you Alice. Telling me about such a wonderful thing." Luka said gratefully.

"...Hmph. It annoyed me to hear someone so weak introducing themselves as a Hero. So, have you mastered the power yet?" Alice inquired.

"For now, I can hear the voice of the wind... But I don't really know how to use it in a fight...?" Luka stopped, as he turned to me with a strange expression.

"...What?" I asked in confusion.

"Is this how Alice feels all the time? I can hear the voice of the wind telling me more about my surroundings, but I can't feel you at all... It's like you're not even there!" Luka said in befuddlement, as Sylph's face emerged from his chest.

"Hey, what are you talking about...? What the...!? Where did you come from!? It's a ghost!" the little Spirit shouted.

"Ghost!? Where!? Waaahh!" Alice yelled fearfully, as she hid behind Luka, trembling at the mention of her greatest terror.

Huh.

So even Spirits couldn't sense me, but Promestein could?

What did that mean...?

"Says the one that's literally incorporeal and possessing my friend's body. Also, I'm very much alive and solid, thank you." I drily quipped.

"Wait a moment. I want to ask the wind about you." Sylph declared, before her small, fairy-like body fully emerged from Luka and she closed her eyes in concentration.

As the green energy around us surged and passed through me, my mind was filled with the sound of a rushing gale.

As soon as her energy retreated, I snapped out of my trance-like state, rapidly shaking my head.

"Brbrbrbr... Whoa... What was that all about?" I said in a slightly drunken tone, feeling a bit woozy.

"How can this be!? I can feel energy of the food you've eaten, but you are completely invisible to the wind! What are you!?" Sylph demanded in disbelief, looking at me like I was some kind of strange monster.

"Yeah, can you not do that again? That was... Weird." I lamely concluded, still shaking off my disorientation.

"Wait a minute, not even a Spirit can sense the energy within you? Just how powerless are you!?" Alice demanded.

"The woman from before said the same thing... So Daniel really has no magic at all?" Luka pondered aloud, thinking of Promestein's claim.

"What!? That's not possible! Everything that lives has its own magic! How can someone possibly be alive without it!?" Alice incredulously questioned.

"I really don't know. I don't have an explanation." I replied truthfully.

"Just... What are you?" Alice asked in a wary tone, before all around us the creatures of the forest started rushing away from the area, as a powerful presence made its way towards us.

The feeling it gave off could only be artificial.

It was like looking at a patchwork creature, made up of many different parts that did not fit together, but were forced to take up twisted shapes to do just that, in a way that couldn't possibly be natural.

"What... Is it a monster!?" Luka asked warily, as he felt the wind's voice telling him of the disgusting presence.

"I sense a monster... But not quite... Nothing besides Elves, Fairies, and that Alraune should live in this forest..." Alice trailed off.

"What is it...? The feeling is causing goosebumps to go up my spine..." Luka questioned, as he gripped his sword tightly.

I hid behind a tree in the opposite direction from the Chimera's approach in anticipation of the upcoming fight.

"It's getting closer... It's almost here..." Luka continued.

"...I know. Just what is this ominous feeling...?" Alice agreed thoughtfully, before the enemy appeared through the treeline.

"What... The hell...? Hey, Alice... What is this monster...?" Luka stammered in confusion at the sight of the mishmash of parasitic plants and a humanoid body with hollow eyes.

"I don't know." Alice coldly replied.

"You're the Monster Lord, right? How could you not know?" Luka insisted.

"...I really have no idea. I've never seen this type of monster before... A monster unknown to the Monster Lord shouldn't exist in this world." Alice confirmed, her tone more serious than ever before.

Suddenly flowers and ivy shot out of the Chimera's body, attacking both of my friends.

"Gah..." Luka grimaced, as he jumped back, barely avoiding the attack, as Alice blew the one sent towards her off-course with her tail.

The artificial monster had seemingly missed my presence so far.

"What is the meaning of this!? Attacking me? Do you know what it means to attack the Monster Lord!?" Alice questioned in outrage, as her energy surged in a sudden storm of fire, scorching her enemy.

The Chimera Dryad felt no pain, and did not recoil from the flames, but I could tell her energy had taken a hit.

"What!? It didn't even flinch from my attack!?" Alice yelled in disbelief.

"...Alice, you're the Monster Lord. Leave the fights with monsters to me, the Hero!" Luka declared.

"This isn't the time for foolishness, you fake Hero! This... Thing.. Isn't normal." Alice said seriously.

"Please stand back, Alice! Monster fighting is a Hero's duty!" Luka repeated.

"But...!" Alice started, before meeting Luka's resolute eyes.

"I'm a Hero! You're the Monster Lord! I don't want to see monsters fighting each other! And I promised the Elf! I'll defeat this thing and bring peace back to the forest!" Luka shouted determinedly.

"...I see. I'll step back. Be careful... This thing is strange." Alice acquiesced with a last warning.

"I will..." Luka assured her, before facing the monster.

As Alice disappeared, the flames from before died down, and the Chimera Dryad turned its emotionless eyes towards Luka.

Luka started the fight with his new technique, his sword cutting the plants covering his enemy's body to shreds, as a flower rapidly got into his pants.

He slashed it off, and kept going with fierce abandon, before finally backing off.

"Did it work...?" Luka said, as he took a few breaths.

However, he also breathed in the monster's pollen, his energy falling into disarray.

The monster used this opportunity to envelop his body with vines.

All the plants on the dryad's body started vibrating, as Luka quickly regained his consciousness and sliced himself free, making me sigh in relief.

As he pulled back, a bright red rose opened up on the Chimera Dryad's body.

Instantly my senses lit up in alarm.

"Wh...What is that...?" Luka wondered aloud, looking at the flower in fascination.

"Dodge!" I quickly yelled out.

"What?" Luka said dumbly, as the rose shot towards him.

Seeing he had failed to take a defensive stance, I sprang into action, drawing my dagger, my form blurring from sight as I executed my new technique, aiming to cut the connection between the deadly rose and the Chimera.

My quick movement left behind an afterimage, as I barely made it in time, cutting the thin line of plant matter.

More vines shot towards me, and I wildly slashed at them, before retreating with another Broken Shadow, back into hiding once again.

That had been way too close.

"Whoa! Thanks! But be careful! This thing... Is strong!" Luka yelled out as he looked around, having lost track of me himself.

"Eh...!?" Luka suddenly exclaimed, as Sylph's energy started moving inside him.

I could tell they were communicating, even though I couldn't hear the words.

"I understand! Sylph, please lend me your power!" Luka said, as from inside him, a powerful green energy surged, manipulating the wind around him to create a powerful shield of currents.

"What is this...?" Luka said, looking in awe at the small tornado surrounding him, as an ivy the Chimera shot towards Luka got torn up in the wind.

"Amazing...!" Luka said, his eyes flashing with determination as he jumped back in the fight with greater speed than ever before, wind accompanying his every movement, though he did not seem to fully embrace the sensation.

The fight lasted little after that, as Luka finished his opponent with a final Death Sword Chaos Star, the Chimera Dryad vanishing into thousands of petals, raining down around him.

"Was it sealed...?" Luka wondered, unsure of the fate of his opponent.

"Is it over...? What the hell was that thing...?" Alice questioned as she reappeared, eyeing the strange flowers covering the area.

"Apparently it was a parasitic type. That human woman was made into the host... Was she a corpse that was taken over by a parasitic flower...?" she pondered.

"Human...!? Then I was fighting..." Luka stammered in horror.

"No. If that thing was ever human, it was already dead when she appeared." I declared, cutting him off.

"Though it may have been human at one time it was something completely different when you were fighting it. Her body was corroded so badly by the plant, she was more plant than human... So you don't need to worry. In fact, you freed her from the plant." Alice elaborated.

"Is that so...? I see... Yeah... So what was that thing after all?" Luka asked, after a sigh of relief.

"Perhaps a mutating monster?" Alice posited.

I knew better of course, but as always, Ilias was watching.

"In any case, Sylph's power was amazing. If I didn't have that, I wouldn't have been able to win. Thanks to you too, Daniel, you really saved me there."

"Don't mention it. You saved my ass many more times before, I still owe you." I declared.

"It may be powerful, but you need to master it. If you're too weak, you will be controlled by that power." Alice proclaimed.

"Then... Since I just used it so amazingly, does that mean I'm amazing!?" Luka gloated.

"More foolishness from the idiot." Alice scoffed.

"Don't worry, I'll keep him in shape. He can't use that power to sense me, after all. If he starts growing complacent, I'll smack him back down to earth." I offered.

"Hey! I thought you were on my side!" Luka roared indignantly.

"I am. That's why I'm gonna help you keep your head on your shoulders instead of above the clouds." I countered.

"But I will say... I honestly didn't think you would be able to use it so quickly. I was looking forward to seeing you blow yourself into the air by screwing up with the wind." Alice commented.

"Oi oi..." Luka voiced in annoyance.

"But it's still too early to be conceited. The more you get used to Sylph's power, the more powerful it will become. You were able to use it, but that's only a fraction of what the power of Wind can do." Alice explained.

"Ahh... I see!" Luka said in realization.

Suddenly a number of small presences approached us from the forest, the rustling of leaves announcing their arrival.

"Did you beat that scary thing?" a lone Fairy asked, as she timidly poked her head from behind a bush.

"That flower monster is scaaary. When it finds you, it eats you..." another Fairy said in a fearful tone.

"But they beat it!" another declared, as they all exited the vegetation, coming up to us.

"Thank you, big bro! Thank you too, scary looking snake lady! And also you, with the scruffy beard!" they thanked us.

"S... Scary looking snake lady...?" Alice stammered in disbelief.

"...I do need to shave, don't I?" I hummed thoughtfully, passing a finger over my chin.

I had sort of forgot, since my beard seemed to grow less and less the more I was in this world.

I still couldn't understand why that was.

But I did have a theory, even if I didn't want to think about it...

After thanking us, the Fairies formed a small circle and started whispering to each other.

"Hey hey, let's go play right away!" one said.

"There's a big castle nearby!" another pointed out.

"Yaay! Let's go play pranks on them!" a last one proposed, before they all flew off into the distance, headed south.

"Nearby castle... That's San Ilia rignt?" Luka asked.

"I think so..." Alice agreed.

"...What's with that city getting more weird residents everytime we do something around here?" I quipped.

"Uh oh... I'm worried now." Luka said in a concerned tone, as we headed to the aforementioned castle.

~– ~ – ~

I laughed pretty much the whole time we were in town, amused by the Fairies and ghosts' antics.

"So now the Fairies are doing whatever they want..." Luka commented, as I recovered my breath.

"Those little things can be pretty annoying." Alice said, as a small group of children, with both a ghost and a Fairy among them passed by us yelling excitedly.

"I wonder what will happen here now... Will the humans get along with the Fairies...?" Luka pondered.

"Will they get along? Or will they reject them? Since this place loves Ilias so much, I don't know if it will go well." Alice said neutrally.

"In the end, it's up to the people of the town..." Luka concluded.

"Eh, I think it will be fine." I shrugged, inwardly adorning a knowing grin.

"Anyway, let's get the hell out of here. We can't waste any more time here." Alice declared, desperately trying to ignore the ghosts around her.

However, her slight trembling betrayed her inner feelings.

"Ah... Yeah I guess you're right. Shall we get going?" Luka conceded, as we turned our backs to San Ilia, leaving towards our next adventure.

The end of the first chapter was getting closer.

I just hoped the peace would last, even if only a bit longer...


	27. Chapter 27: Collapsing and recovering

"Hmm... The other Spirits... Alright... Next is Gnome. Shall we go to Sabasa castle to the west first?" Luka proposed, looking at his map.

"Whoa there, If we're gonna be crossing a desert, I wanna buy some more waterskins. And food." I immediately declared.

"A desert this time? It looks like I'll be able to try some new delicacies. I'm getting excited!" Alice said happily.

Luka just looked at her in bemusement.

We bought the needed supplies in San Ilia, and departed soon after, Alice having waited for us outside of town.

I really wasn't looking forward to this part...

I always got sick because of sudden changes in temperature.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, we passed through a humid rainforest.

"...Hot..." Alice lamented, fanning herself with a hand.

It had been some time since we left San Ilia, and the journey so far had been the longest and hardest yet.

If not for Alice's presence strengthening my endurance with her darkness, I had no doubt I'd have collapsed multiple times.

I still had yet to notice any major changes to my physique apart from the increase in muscle mass, so I still didn't know if I was truly turning into a monster...

I wasn't sure if I wanted to know at this point.

"You're barely wearing anything too... I'm the one really hot with all these clothes..." Luka complained.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, all I feel is this magnificent, refreshing breeze." I said in a dreamy tone.

"What breeze?" Luka asked in confusion.

"The one I'm trying my hardest to convince myself exists, shut up." I snapped.

"You can take off your clothes too you know. That way you can make it easier for the monsters that attack you, too." Alice said, as a dark presence approached us.

I quickly hid in the vegetation, as Alice herself disappeared.

"Geez, just what do you th... Hmm?" Luka stopped, as Sylph's power warned him of the closing enemy.

Suddenly, a monster with a tarantula's furry lower half and a woman's torso attached above the spider's head appeared in front of him.

Under her abdomen, multiple sets of breasts were lined together.

"Hehe... A delicious looking human. I'll wrap you up in my silk and make you my prey..." the Tarantula Girl said hungrily.

"Are you attacking travelers one after another like that? Can't you live by eating something besides humans?" Luka asked.

"I can eat other things... Even grass... But I make it a point to only eat human males. There's nothing better than eating a male as he gasps in agony." the monster declared sadistically.

"Then there's no issue if I fight you with everything I have!" Luka shouted, as a powerful gale surrounded him, pulling out his sword.

"I'll crush your penis with my breasts..." the monster said, before jumping on top of Luka with a powerful leap, but the wind barrier rebuffed her, making her fall backwards.

Luka took the opportunity to slash at her furiously, his wind guard protecting him from her pleasure attacks.

The battle didn't last long after that, as Luka finished her with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

I was glad I didn't have to intervene, as sweat poured from my forehead even in the shade.

"How could I lose... To a human!?" the Tarantula Girl stammered in disbelief, as her body dissolved into a tiny furry spider.

"Even when it's so hot, these monsters are so energetic..." Luka sighed.

"...So hot... And hungry." Alice complained, as we kept going.

Thankfully her hunger was not yet that urgent, as I really didn't want to run for the hills in this heat during my one minute headstart...

~– ~ – ~

"Uhhhg... Why is the air so dry." Alice lamented the day after, as we walked through a dry, savannah-like region.

"This is an arid region. A little bit further and we'll actually be in a desert." Luka explained.

"I'm really not looking forward to that... Why couldn't Gnome be in a place like a huge mountain or something... Oh, come on!" I lamented, as a presence entered my range.

"Bleh. Another monster... Making me have to move more than necessary when it's so hot..." Alice complained as she disappeared.

I looked for somewhere to hide, but we were in an open field.

"Sheesh..." Luka voiced out, unsheathing his sword, as the monster approached us.

She mostly looked like a normal human woman wearing some skimpy-looking armor, but she also had horns coming out of her head, her huge breasts swaying as she walked.

"Oh ho... Two healthy looking males. I'll rape you both." the Minotaur declared.

"Well, that's certainly straightforward." I quipped in annoyance, sweating from the heat.

"Sylph, lend me your power!" Luka said, summoning a strong wind.

"Haaaaaah... Hey why don't you always do this as we travel?" I questioned, enjoying the fresh breeze.

"Just shoot everything out in my mouth!" the Minotauros ordered as she strongly pulled on Luka's pants and gobbled his dick despite the wind barrier slowing her movements.

Luka slashed at her, trying to make some distance, her hand trying to grab him rebuffed by the gale.

She turned to me, and rushed me with the blunt side of her axe, but I had been expecting her to try that, and I blurred backwards, leaving an afterimage.

The monster kept coming at me, and Luka used the opportunity to attack her with a Death sword Chaos Star.

She turned to him, trying to hit him with her axe, but the broad weapon was sent flying backwards by the wind barrier.

"What the...!? You have some weird skill!" the Minotaur yelled out, as she grabbed Luka's member.

"Guh..." he grimaced at the stimulation.

"You look like you're in pain... Shall I make you orgasm to relieve it?" she gloated, sure of her victory, as I hadn't actually attacked her.

However, Luka slashed her throat with his sword and that was it.

"To such a tiny boy...!?" the Minotaur yelled in disbelief, as she turned into a calf.

"Whew..." Luka sighed in relief as the sealed monster ran off.

"...Are you done?" Alice asked, reappearing.

"How was I? Don't you think I've gotten stronger?" Luka asked hopefully.

"Well... You are better than before. But since all you can use the wind for is defense, you still have a long way to go. Until you're carried by the wind itself, you can't say you've mastered it!" Alice declared.

"I... I see..." Luka said dejectedly.

"Hey man, I told you, you've got to start dodging more. You're agile, you could easily move out of the way a lot more." I said, hinting at his self-endangering fighting style.

"If even Sylph couldn't do it, how can I...?" he muttered.

"Dude, you've had that power for ten days, you're not gonna be able to master it in so little time, just relax and keep trying ok?" I encouraged, patting his shoulder.

He brightened up a little at that.

"Alright! I'll do my best! I'll train like hell while I meet the other spirits!" he enthusiastically yelled, before we moved forward.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, we finally reached the actual desert.

"Uhggg... So hot..." Luka lamented.

"Shut up, I'm trying to think cold thoughts here." I said with a hoarse voice, as a monster's presence entered my perception, making me sigh as I hid behind a dune.

After a few seconds, a monster mostly looking like a giant scorpion with a girl on top appeared in front of Luka.

"A man passing by here...? How unusual. It looks like I'll have a male treat today..." the Scorpion Girl commented.

"Just go away... I won't let that happen." Luka tiredly said, as he pulled out his sword.

He summoned Sylph, a powerful gale blowing around him, lifting the sand from the ground.

The Scorpion Girl tried to get through it, but couldn't succeed at first.

Luka used the opportunity to cut her, but some sand entered his eye, and the Scorpion Girl used the opportunity to quickly lower his pants, sucking on his member.

Luka jumped back to make some distance, but then, the Scorpion Girl's tail opened up.

"I'll suck you into this tail. Doesn't it look like it will feel good? Don't you want it to suck up everything till the last drop?" she asked in an enticing voice, as she jumped on top of Luka, pinning his body down with her heavy weight.

"It will feel amazing to be sucked dry by this tail... You'll die in a state of bliss..." she continued, starting to move her open tail towards him.

However she recoiled in pain once the sand I threw in it landed.

"Aahhh! You bastard! How dare you!" she yelled in rage.

"Woah there, sandypants, no need to get antsy." I quipped, as Luka managed to free himself from her grasp and started wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"I lost... To a human!?" the monster stammered in disbelief, as she turned into a tiny scorpion.

I made a point to use a pan to throw her away before she stung either of us, just in case.

"Whew... She was pretty strong." Luka commented.

"Must be the enviroment." I added.

"...Are you finished yet? There's nothing to do around here when I go on my nature stroll. All I could do was catch a couple of insects." Alice said as she proudly presented an insect cage with a number of scorpions within.

"Uwaa! W... Why did you catch so many scorpions?" Luka asked in horror, taking a step back from the dangerous little creatures.

"Well... I was wondering if I could eat them..." Alice proposed thoughtfully.

"Like hell you could!" Luka exclaimed.

"Actually, they could be edible, but the poison needs to be removed. Well, hopefully we shouldn't need to eat them if we reach Sabasa on time." I said, before we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

After a while, we came across some clothes and luggage sitting in the middle of the desert.

From a small golden lamp, I could feel the aura of a monster.

"What... Is that...?" Luka wondered aloud, looking around at the scattered junk.

"What the heck? Did they melt away by the heat?" Alice asked in puzzlement.

"I don't think humans can melt like that... I wonder what happened. Hm? What's this? What's an expensive lamp doing here..?" Luka questioned, looking at the lamp, before picking it up and dusting it.

Suddenly purple smoke started emerging from the golden object, a monster appearing from it, as Alice and I hid.

She looked mostly like a normal human woman with her ample chest exposed, but her ears were long and pointy.

"Uwa! What the!?" Luka startled.

"I was called... I shall grant you one wish." the Genie declared.

"Eh...? Wish? Alice, Daniel, what do you think I sh... Oh, they're gone." Luka stopped, noticing our absence.

"Now, what is your wish? No matter what it is, I shall make it come true." the Genie inquired, swaying her breasts in front of Luka.

"Hmmmmm..." Luka hummed thoughtfully.

"Now, state your wish. Do you desire wealth? Power? Or... the ultimate pleasure? I bet you desire pleasure. Shall I give you a taste of my sexual skills?" the Genie seductively whispered in Luka's ear, his energy started falling into disarray, but Luka managed to resist the temptation.

"Oh crap! What the hell am I thinking!? Ilias, please forgive me!" he yelled out, as he shook his head.

"...I don't have any wishes you can grant. There's just a goal I must achieve!" he continued, regaining his composure.

"...I see. You have a strong will. I like men like you. I'll give you a special service..." the Genie said, as her energy surged, some of her power entering Luka's body.

"I wish you well in your travels..." the Genie said, going back in her lamp.

Still surprised, Luka picked up the lamp.

I and Alice rejoined him, as I patted him on the back for managing to shake off the Genie's temptation.

"Should I keep this lamp so there aren't any more victims...?" Luka pondered.

"...Sheesh. I thought you were going to jump her with how excited you looked." Alice said in an irritated tone.

"I just felt weird for a moment! But... I shook off the temptation..." Luka said while blushing.

"...Pervert. You're so repressed your desire overflowed at the slightest temptation. Once we get out of Sabasa castle, it looks like I'll need to squeeze everything out of you again." Alice declared.

"Eh...!?" Luka said, while blushing and trembling.

"Just remember: one minute." I reminded.

"Sheesh, what a prude." Alice remarked.

"Are you an exhibitionist or something?" I deadpanned.

"It's not my fault you're a natural born voyeur." she countered.

"Guh..." I accused the blow, unable to retort.

We moved on soon after.

However, unlike our predictions, we did not reach Sabasa that day.

~– ~ – ~

"Uuu... Why the hell did I agree to this..." Luka lamented, as he cooked the scorpions Alice had caught.

"...You should thank me." Alice declared, unphased by Luka's complaints.

"I just hope he gets all the poison out right." I said dejectedly.

"...Hmph. It's fine isn't it? Everything you make turns out good." Alice said with a small smile.

"...That doesn't make me feel better about eating scorpions." Luka whined.

"Well, I'm not all that hungry anyway, so I don't really care... You can share my portion guys." I said in a tired tone.

"Are you feeling alright? You look a bit under the weather." Luka said in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." I assured.

I actually felt pretty damn shitty, but I could not afford to slow us down.

Some future events were quite time-sensitive.

"Uhg... We should have been at Sabasa castle already." Luka lamented tearfully, as he ate his scorpion.

"...Don't cry, you idiot." Alice insulted, as they finished their meal.

I collapsed in my tent, instantly falling asleep.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, my condition had grown worse.

"Are you really alright? You don't look so good..." Luka said, looking at my sweaty face, as we started our trek through the desert.

I was breathing hard, as I kept trying to ignore the strain I was feeling, my body having failed to adapt to the harsh enviroment.

"I'm... Fine... Let's just..." I stammered, as I started walking, only to collapse a moment later.

"Daniel!" Luka yelled in a worried voice, as he put a hand on my scalding forehead.

"He's burning up! We have to do something Alice!" Luka said, but my mind was too blurry to respond by that point.

"This is not good. We are out of food, and we can't afford to sit around and wait for him to recover. But he can't walk like this..." Alice commented in a concerned tone.

"You... Can't you fly or something? You can go into the sky and find the castle!" Luka proposed.

"Hmm... Normally I'd refuse, seeing as a Hero shouldn't rely on the Monster Lord... But this is an emergency. I'll agree to help this once." Alice conceded.

"Thank you..." Luka said in a thankful, but pained tone, aware that he couldn't argue, before Alice's energy surged, and she flew into the sky.

A few moments later, she came back down.

"There. In that direction. It's not too far. We should reach it in little time." Alice said, pointing at the horizon.

"Alright. Just hold on a little more Daniel. We'll get you help soon." Luka assured, as he started to put my body onto his back.

However I stopped him, having recovered a little from Alice's discharged energy passing through me.

"Stop. I can still move, I feel a bit better now. Just let me do one thing first." I said, as I took out my flask and poured it on my head, feeling refreshed.

I wasn't back at 100%, but I was no longer on the verge of collapse.

"Are you sure? You shouldn't force yourself..." Luka said in concern.

"Yeah, that helped. Though I'd like to get to the city soon." I requested.

"...Alright. Just tell me if you need help. I can carry you that far." Luka offered.

"I will. Let's go." I finished, as we started walking.

Thankfully, as Alice predicted, we managed to swiftly reach Sabasa, and I could finally rest in the shade for a while, drinking some more fresh water, and eating juicy fruits from the oasis.

"Are you feeling better now?" Luka asked worriedly.

"Yeah. Thanks, both of you. I know that wasn't an easy decision to make. I owe you both." I said sincerely.

"I didn't actually do anything..." Luka said dejectedly.

"You are the reason I even got this far in the first place. I wouldn't even be alive if not for you." I said resolutely.

And I would find a way to repay him for that, and atone for my lies, I mentally added.

"Thank you..." he said tearfully, as we moved on through the city's markets.

~– ~ – ~

"There are a lot of merchants..." Luka commented, looking at the various stalls.

"Oh? Is this the Sabasa Castle's special dish? A piping hot Sabasa Fish packed with hot-hot vegetables, flavored with special Piriri spices?" Alice questioned in a hungry tone.

"...Do you want to eat it?" Luka asked her.

Alice quickly nodded her head like an excited child.

"...It's expensive you know. We can't afford it with the money we have on hand..." Luka said dejectedly, looking at the prices.

"Mr. adventurer! The baptized Hero price isn't too expensive!" the clerk offered.

"Err... I'm actually... Not baptized..." Luka confessed.

"Gaaah! This stupid half-Hero boy! How come you aren't a baptized Hero at such an important time!" Alice yelled angrily.

"...Sorry." Luka apologised dejectedly.

"Well, at least like this you can still get some good food easily." I quipped, making Luka blush, as Alice looked thoughtful for a moment, before conceding my point.

I had been tempted to trick the seller, given the chance for me to lie FOR my friends for once, but I decided Luka wouldn't approve of that, and I couldn't afford for his trust in me to waver.

There was still too much to deal with.

I only hoped it would be enough in the end.

"Ah... Ahh! That sword! Hmm... You're a little young..." a soldier suddenly gasped, stopping to look at Luka, before adopting a thoughtful expression.

"I'm sorry, but will you come with me to the castle?" the soldier suddenly requested.

"Eh...!? I didn't do anything wrong!" Luka protested fearfully.

"...No, it's nothing like that. Anyway, just come to the castle. It won't take long... You just need to listen to a story." the soldier explained.

"Eh...? What do you think, Alice, Daniel?" Luka asked.

"Don't rely on me. Think for yourself." Alice scoffed.

"I'm fine with whatever. There might be some nice shade in there though." I said, pointing at the sun with my thumb.

"Ok... I'll listen to the story..." Luka agreed with the soldier, before we moved towards the castle.

Luka looked stunned at having been brought to the King's audience hall.

A strong-looking man stood in the room with us, his height towering above us, his muscled body putting even my newly-enhanced physique to shame.

I could feel some darkness within him, likely a trait from his monster ancestor.

"Excuse me... Were you brought here to hear the King's request too...?" Luka asked the man he thought to be just a seasoned warrior.

"No... I am the King." the ruler replied.

"Ah, the King. Well I... Eh!?" Luka stopped, his brain catching up with the man's words.

"I'm the ninth King of Sabasa." the huge man declared.

"...I...I'm sorry! Please excuse my rudeness before!" Luka swiftly apologized.

"...Who would wear a cape like that for style in this weather? I'd understand if it was for training, but I doubt he'd need that, looking at him." I quipped at Luka.

"Daniel! What are you saying in front of the King!?" my friend fearfully lambasted me

"I don't mind. Before I was King I was a warrior." the King smiled in amusement for a moment, before looking at us both with a stern gaze.

"...Hmm... You have good eyes. You look pretty young, so I wasn't sure of your ability." the King commented, looking at Luka.

"I... Thanks..." Luka stammered.

I snickered at his confusion.

"As for you... You're a bit of a trickster, aren't you?" the King chuckled, looking at me with a grin.

"Guilty as charged. I'm really not much of a warrior." I easily admitted.

"Is that how it is? You say that, but I cannot even begin to guess at your hidden strength. Regardless, I won't pry." the King said cryptically.

"Hard to sense what doesn't exist I'm afraid..." I wryly replied.

If I truly was that strong, I wouldn't be so worried all the time, I thought...

"...I think you underestimate yourself." the King concluded, before turning his attention back to the topic at hand.

"...Travelers, I wish to ask you something that must remain confidential. It's very important. If it gets to the citizens, it will be a huge incident." The King strongly declared.

"I... I understand..." Luka said, with a nervous swallow.

"The fact is, my daughter... That is, the princess... She was kidnapped by a monster." the King confessed with a dark face.

"The princess was kidnapped!? As a Hero, I can't sit still at that!" Luka declared resolutely.

"...A fake one." Alice reminded.

"Please tell me more, King." Luka requested, ignoring Alice.

"It was midnight, three days ago... I was awoken by the sound of shattering glass from my daughter's room. When I ran there, my daughter was gone... The only thing that remained was a letter." the King explained.

"A letter...?" Luka inquired.

"The monster who took my daughter left it. In horribly hate-filled writing, it had one word on it. Pyramid. Having the princess being kidnapped is a horrible thing to befall the country. To avoid an uproar, this must remain a secret. That's why I've been searching for a person capable of saving her in secret..." the King continued.

"I see..." Luka said thoughtfully.

"I've interviewed a few so far... Even though they introduce themselves as Heroes, they all looked pretty pathetic. But even though you're young, I feel something from you... Young traveler, will you please save my daughter?" the King requested.

"...I understand! I'll do it!" Luka assured.

"Oh! You'll do it!? Then the dawn after you save my daughter, you shall become her husband!" the King joyfully declared.

"...Ehh!?" Luka exclaimed in shock.

Alice opened her mouth to speak, but I was faster.

"Oi." I interjected, my voice breaking the flow of the conversation.

Everyone in the room turned to face me.

"Am I to understand that you are willing to give your daughter away to whoever saves her? Even if that person were to be someone like me?" I asked in a sleazy tone.

"What!? You want my daughter!? It seems like I misjudged you... I won't let someone like you lay a finger on her!" the King yelled, putting a hand on his sword.

"But didn't you just try to give her away to a man you just met?" I pointed out, my sudden change to a serious tone and expression giving the King pause.

"Are you truly so sure of your own judgement that you would bet your daughter's happiness on it? Even without her permission? And without even asking the potential partner if they're fine with it?" I pressed, my voice chilly and unrelenting.

"What if they cannot make her happy for their own reasons? That is especially true in this situation..." I trailed off, glancing at Alice, the King automatically following my gaze.

"I don't know what your reasons are. But even if I did, it's not my place to judge. She's your daughter, not mine. And I'm really not someone who should judge others based on their motivations anyway. But I can assure you, risking her happiness like this will not do your relationship any good, regardless if your judgement is correct or not. Because while I might not have children, I have parents. And I know, if they tried to make this sort of decision for me without my permission, I'd never forget it. Even if I managed to forgive them later, I would never be able to look at them the same way. Maybe I'm a bad son for that. But I also trust them to know this. The question is, what do you want for yourself and your daughter?" I concluded.

Everyone in the room looked at me in a stunned silence, some at my sheer idiocy, I bet.

But I couldn't stay silent.

Love was not meant to be forced on others.

Forcing someone to marry was a barbaric act, just like slavery.

Parents SHOULD guide their children, true.

But they do not own them.

"...That reward isn't necessary. Instead, we would rather have Sabasa Fish to eat." Alice requested, breaking the silence.

I silently thanked her for her quick thinking.

"...That's all you want as a reward!?" the King yelled in disbelief after a moment more of silence.

"Oi oi, Alice..." Luka cautioned.

"Do you have a complaint? Or do you want to marry a princess and end your travels here?" Alice questioned.

"No, it's not that but..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

The King silently looked at me, as I smirked at their usual antics.

"...Anyway, I'll entrust this matter to you. I'm asking both as the King of this land, and as a father." The King requested, bowing towards us humbly.

As we left the room, the King still looked thoughtful.

I truly hoped he would consider his daughter's feelings.

Though he might have been pretty shocked if he learned about ALL of them...

~– ~ – ~

"...That King was pretty impressive. Being stuck as a King doesn't seem like it fits a man like him." Alice commented.

"True... But I hope he won't just abandon his post because of that... Though I don't think that's likely." I agreed.

"...What are you talking about?" Luka said in confusion.

"Mr. Hero, I shall take you to the nicest Inn. Please have an enjoyable rest..." A soldier declared.

"Ah... Thank you..." Luka politely thanked him.

"We'll be able to sleep in a nice Inn tonight..." Alice said in a happy tone.

"Oh yeah... I hate sleeping bags." I agreed in anticipation.

"You could always sleep without one." Alice said.

"Yeah, but I can't coil around trees like you do..." I whispered in her ear, unheard from the soldier.

"But... Before that, shall we search for some information? I want to learn more about the Pyramid and Gnome..." Luka trailed off.

"If it's information you're after... We found an information dealer earlier. Shall I take you to the jail?" the soldier helpfully provided.

"Oh... That would be helpful!" Luka agreed, before making a confused face, as he repeated the part in his mind.

~– ~ – ~

As I expected, we found a certain annoying character sitting in a dark cell.

"Oh... Darling! Coming all the way here to meet me! Good things sure do come to those who wait..." Amira the unfortunate Lamia said in a happy voice.

"...Why were you thrown in jail? What were you doing in Sabasa castle?" Luka inquired.

"There was no reason for them to throw me in here... If I had to say... It must have been because I was so hideous looking..." she voiced out in a sad tone.

"Amira..." Luka called in a sympathetic tone.

Wait for it...

"Hey, snake girl! Get the hell out of here already! This isn't your house!" a guard yelled angrily.

Like clockwork.

"The true reason... They give me three meals every day..." Amira confessed, uncomfortable under Luka's gaze.

"Oh, how interesting. Luka, shall we stay here for a while too?" Alice proposed.

"Sure, live here forever. By yourself. Anyway, Amira. Do you have any information to sell?" Luka asked the unfortunate Lamia.

"Money isn't needed. All I want is your love." Amira singsang, before doing a few strange sounds.

Luka looked unimpressed.

"I have a horrible story for you today... I heard the princess was kidnapped!" Amira said in a shocking tone.

"I already heard that from the King." Luka deadpanned.

"As expected of my darling! Then, what kind of information were you hoping to hear about?" Amira asked in a dreamy tone.

"Do you know anything about Gnome?" Luka inquired.

"Gnome...? The earth Spirit? I know a little... There's a town called Safaru a little bit north of this place. It's said that nobody lives in there any longer, and it's in ruins... But the people who lived there worshipped Gnome." Amira explained.

"Were they animists...?" Luka pondered.

I idly wondered what that meant in a world in which Spirits were real, observable beings...

"But they died out... They migrated to other towns, and left Safaru in ruins... But there have been some strange sightings in the ruins recently. Tiny mud dolls have been seen walking around restlessly." Amira continued.

"Mud doll...? Do you think that's Gnome...?" Luka questioned.

"I don't know any more than that... Maybe it's a normal monster that appears in the area? Or possibly something that was created to worship Gnome?" Amira hypothesised.

"That isn't Gnomey. But it might be one of her familiars..." Sylph added.

"Sylph..." Luka said, looking at the small spirit that emerged from his body.

"Oh... You look delicious. Is this delicious morsel your companion, Darling?" Amira asked with a hungry tone.

"Something like that... What do you mean by familiar, Sylph?" Luka questioned the small spirit.

"Gnomey makes dolls out of mud for fun... She makes them move with her magic, and plays with them." Sylph explained.

"I see... So if those mud dolls are seen, that must mean Gnome is close by?" Luka deduced.

"It must! Yaay! I'll get to play with Gnomey after so long!" Sylph joyfully laughed, before disappearing from sight, back inside Luka.

"It seems that gnome is near those ruins. Thank you, Amira. That was actually useful." Luka said gratefully.

"Is there anything else you want to know? I'll find out anything for you, Darling." Amira said in a dreamy tone.

"Then... Do you know anything about Undine or Salamander?" Luka asked.

"Even I don't know anything about them... But before our next meeting, I'll find out more..." Amira promised.

"Thank you, that would help me out a lot." Luka said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. I'll be waiting for my reward. Now, Amira is going to start on her journey. I shall find out, whether it be through hell or high water... Get it? Fire and water. Undine and Salamander." Amira said, ruining the already bad joke even further.

"Ah... Yeah..." Luka said uncomfortably.

"Then, until next time..." Amira finished, as she awkwardly crawled out of the dungeon.

"Why do I feel so disgusted at being indebted to her?" Luka questioned.

"I don't understand her either. She seems to live among humans pretty effortlessly." Alice commented.

"I think I'd say she's just doing whatever she wants..." Luka disagreed.

"Gotta admire her tenacity though." I quipped.

"Anyway, I'm tired. You must be even worse off than I am after crossing that desert. And Daniel still needs to recover. Let's get to the Inn." Alice proposed.

"That sounds good..." Luka agreed.

"I think we should speak with some more people first. It would help to have even more information." I said, knowing there were some important conversations to be had before we could go to sleep.

"Are you sure? You really shouldn't push yourself..." Luka said in concern.

"Yeah, some time in the shade did me good. I don't think I even have a fever anymore" I assured.

"What?" Alice asked, before putting a hand on my forehead.

"...It's true. You recovered quite quickly..." she said in a puzzled tone.

"I guess I just finally adapted to this climate. Let's go guys." I declared, starting to walk.

Alice looked at me thoughtfully, While Luka did so in concern, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

Before leaving the castle, we spoke with the chief retainer.

"The wife of the first King of Sabasa Castle was a monster. That is, the royal family's bloodline contains monster blood..." the chief retainer explained.

"Are you allowed to talk about such a thing so openly...?" Luka questioned in a hushed tone.

"It's no problem It's a known legend. The royal family doesn't hide it. Rather, they take pride in it." the chief retainer assured.

"Oh... Is that so...?" Luka asked in surprise.

"Hmm... A King with such a nice viewpoint. It seems as though he's the closest human to your ideal society, Luka. Better than a discriminating fake Hero who still believes in that Angel's silly prohibition." Alice remarked.

"I... I don't discriminate! I just... Believe in the prohibition..." Luka said uncomfortably.

I just shook my head and sighed, hoping he would get rid of that cognitive dissonance of his sometime soon.

"...Idiot. If Ilias told you to jump off a bridge and die, would you?" Alice pressed.

"...She wouldn't ask that..." Luka weakly countered, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

"What is the pyramid? Why, it's a giant labyrinthian dungeon made by monsters thousands of years ago. According to the legends, it appears as though it was made for some sort of trial." a scholar explained.

"A trial...?" Luka asked.

"The Dragon Seal trial is what it seemed to be called. There used to be an old document in the library about it... But it was lost a few years ago." the scholar lamented.

Of course, I already knew who had took it...

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, we passed by the local church, and Luka decided to see if he could help, as he noticed the local priest's dejected expression.

"South of here is the Witch hunt village. The female lord arrests villagers and travelers accused of being witches. She tortures them until they confess, then executes them. Anyone accused is arrested right away. Regardless of age or sex, she prosecutes any suspects." the priest mournfully exlplained.

"What!? That's horrible..." Luka exclaimed in horror.

"I am a man that serves Ilias. I cannot allow monsters or witches to continue living. But that woman's acts are in excess. The guilty and the innocent alike are being killed by her." the priest lamented.

"That's inexcusable!" Luka yelled in rage.

I agreed completely, but I forcefully held my tongue.

"Calm down. Don't you already have to deal with the princess and Gnome?" Alice reminded.

"...So what?" Luka asked in an uncaring tone.

"...Are you serious?" Alice said, lifting an eyebrow.

"I can't let such a horrible thing happen. Just like monsters attacking humans, I can't have humans attacking monsters." Luka explained.

Alice had no answer to that.

~– ~ – ~

"Welcome to the Mermaid Pub! Can I help you?" the Mermaid behind the counter said, as we entered the establishment for some drinks.

"Oh? There's a Mermaid Pub in this town too?" Luka asked.

"Never thought I'd see a Mermaid in the middle of a desert." I quipped.

"Yes! The King allowed us to open up here. Now we have two locations! Hopefully one day we can have Mermaid Pubs all over the world!" the Mermaid said in an excited tone.

"Oh? Good luck!" Luka said sincerely.

"Once our Mermaid Pub conquers the world, the Queen may come out!" the Mermaid said hopefully.

Laura again...

"The Queen? The Mermaid Queen?" Luka asked curiously.

"Yes... The Queen hates humans for some reason. After we became friends with humans, she vanished. Why does she hate them so much? Where did she go? Nobody knows..." the Mermaid trailed off in a sad tone.

I just sipped my drink thoughtfully.

"I see..." Luka said, as we paid for our drinks and moved on.

Finally we got to the Inn.

We rented a triple room for all of us, as there was nothing else available.

"Luka... Can you please hear me out?" Alice suddenly said, as we were about to prepare for the night.

Right.

This conversation.

I braced myself for the oncoming guilt trip.

It still hurt like fuck all the way...

"S...Sure..." Luka said, taken aback by her unusually meek tone.

"You want to make a world where monsters and humans can coexist. At first I thought you were just a naive idiot. A stupid boy playing childish Hero games." Alice started.

"I remember you saying that when we first met..." Luka reminisced.

"But... My first impression was wrong. You seem more aware of the absurdity in this world than I thought. You aren't like the others who want to be regarded as a Hero... For some reason, it feels more like you're aiming to be a martyr..." Alice trailed off.

Luka was silent.

I was already trying my hardest not to bolt.

"Ruining your body for your beliefs. As if dying would be preferable to being unable to attain your desires. It's as if you're constantly looking for a place to die for your beliefs. How did someone like you come to be like this?" Alice pressed.

I forced my body to remain still, looking at the supplies I was going through.

After some more silence, Luka finally opened his mouth.

"My father was... Killed by a monster." Luka ground out in a harsh tone.

I barely hid my wince at the unknowingly false statement.

"I see... That must have been painful for you. But that doesn't make sense. If a monster killed your father, why don't you hate them?" Alice inquired.

"There was a reason for monsters to want to kill him... He was the founder of Ilias Kreuz." Luka explained, as if he was spitting out venom.

"Ilias Kreuz... The anti-monster terrorist organization?" Alice asked in realization.

"...Before he met that Lazarus guy in Port Natalia, my father was an adventurer. Lazarus and my father met, and along with two others, decided to go to kill the Monster Lord. But... they failed on the way." Luka elaborated.

Alice hid her startle, but I could tell she was shaken.

"...That's a common story. Many heroes following that same desire have failed on the way." she said neutrally.

"But... After his failure, my father's intentions became distorted. My father and Lazarus founded Ilias Kreuz after that. With my father as the leader, they started to commit terrorism all over the world. Casting aside his desire to be a brave Hero, he became a terrorist. I never want to be like him." Luka concluded.

At this point, I was biting my cheek strong enough to taste iron.

"I see... Is that the cause of your reckless behavior?" Alice deduced.

"...Of course! I'd rather die than lose my way like he did!" Luka yelled out.

I gripped my hands together to stop them from trembling, hidden from view of both my comrades and Ilias' scrying window.

"In the end, he was killed by a monster... After killing so many monsters himself, he in turn was killed." Luka recounted.

"...You have a complicated frame of mind." Alice commented.

"...I wasn't happy that he was killed. But if I went out for revenge to kill the monsters who were acting in revenge then what!? Will a relative of that monster then kill me in revenge!? How long would the revenge killings continue? I don't want that!" Luka shouted desperately.

"That's true... that's good. Endless chains of revenge need to be severed." Alice agreed.

But her true thoughts were slightly distorted, and I knew that too...

"That's why I have to change this world. Even if I have to trade this body with the same blood as my father..." Luka trailed off, gripping his fists.

"...Idiot. Willing to trade your life for something like that." Alice insulted.

"E... Even if you say that... If I want to achieve something so big, I have to risk everything..." Luka declared painfully.

"You're trying to reverse your father's actions. But confronted with such a big target, you think your only choice is to throw your life at it." Alice remarked.

Luka's face grew furious.

"What do you know!? I..." He started.

"...You're carrying the crimes of your father on your shoulders. Trying to atone for him, you're willing to die. That's why you're so eager to throw your life away." Alice pressed.

"Atonement for my father's crimes...? I... No! I..." Luka stammered in obvious conflict.

"What your father did is irrelevant to you. The crimes of your father don't extend to the child. That's why even if you kill yourself, you can't excuse his crimes. If you constrict yourself to that viewpoint, you will die without accomplishing anything." Alice continued.

Luka was silent, his expression thoughtful.

"Do you truly want a world where monsters and humans can coexist? Then you must live and make sure to build it yourself... Otherwise your way of life is just too sad." Alice concluded.

Luka closed his eyes, his breathing slowing down slightly.

"...But I am a Hero. If I'm defending the oppressed, I won't regret my actions." he declared resolutely, as he opened his eyes again.

"If that's what you've decided, I don't care. As long as you aren't throwing your life away because of your father. I don't want you to die in such a stupid manner..." Alice remarked.

During this entire conversation I had been tempted several times to blurt out everything.

But Ilias was always watching...

"...I get it. I'll be careful. But it's strange... Having you encourage me like this." Luka commented.

"...Hmph. I have my reasons. Seeing someone being tied down by their parents is just too pathetic to leave alone." Alice scoffed.

"Were you the same? Was your mother frustrated by trying to kill the Monster Lord and turned to horrible deeds?" Luka said, making me suddenly burst into unhinged laughter.

I could only thank God for his stupidity in moments like that...

"My mother WAS the Monster Lord! ...You take idiocy to new levels." Alice sighed, as she wrapped Luka up in her tail.

"Uwa! What are you doing all of a sudden!?" Luka yelped in surprise.

"One minute. Go." Alice ordered, without even looking at me.

I was already running.

~– ~ – ~

After I finally stopped, I wfound myself on top of a building, having chosen to avoid people on the way as much as possible.

I looked up at the stars again, but my heavy heart kept my thoughts on the ground.

I just stood there in silence, not allowing myself to expose my grief to the world.

I knew it was bad for me to hold back...

And that was the point.


	28. Chapter 28: Struggling and advising

The morning after, we left Sabasa, entering the desert again.

Thankfully, I had somehow managed to actually adapt to the harsh enviroment.

I thought back on the moment Alice's energy surged.

Had my body use her discharged energy to achieve this?

I still couldn't tell just what Darkness energy actually did to me, but I had no better explanation.

I still didn't want to think on the implications yet...

Though soon enough, I would be forced to consider at least one of them.

"Alright! Let's head to the Pyramid!" Luka declared, worried for the fate of the princess.

"Hmph... Another detour. But I'll tolerate it this time. The Sabasa King doesn't seem like a bad man. If it was done by one of my cute subordinates, I can't overlook it." Alice agreed.

"I'm fine with that. Let's move." I simply said.

"Are you sure you're alright? You've been silent for a while..." Luka pointed out.

"Just trying to conserve body water. I'm fine." I assured.

"If you say so..." Luka acquiesced, as we started walking.

~– ~ – ~

"This is the Pyramid... It's bigger than I expected!" Luka said in awe, looking upon the massive structure.

I had never been to Egypt, back in my world, But I did see a few documentaries.

Still nothing compared to the real thing.

The massive stone structure towered above us, even only with the first layer of stone.

At that moment, an unfamiliar voice spoke out.

"This is the Pyramid... It's bigger than I expected!" the voice coincidentally parroted.

Turning around, Luka noticed a young woman in soldier armor standing a little ways from us.

My new sense told me her presence had hints of darkness in it.

Bingo.

"Excuse me... Do you have business in the Pyramid as well?" Luka politely asked, approaching the soldier.

"I do... Who are you?" she inquired.

"Err... Are you going to help the person caught in the Pyramid too?" Luka asked.

I had thought about intervening, but I didn't want to risk us skipping on the experience the trials offered.

Besides, Sara would just run off again if we dragged her back with us without completing the trial first, I knew she was stubborn enough for that...

And I also had no proof she was the princess at this point anyways, so, since the mission was supposed to be a secret, I had an excuse to stay silent.

Plus, Luka's hilarious obliviousness was always good for distracting me from my own thoughts.

"Eh...? There's someone caught inside?" the female soldier questioned with a surprised voice.

"Then what business do you have in the Pyramid?" Luka questioned.

"It's not important to you... Well, I don't want you to think I'm a thief trying to steal from the Pyramid or anything. I want to take the Dragon Seal trial inside this Pyramid. I want to do it for my love..." the female soldier declared in a determined voice.

"For the one you love? A trial? It's dangerous to go alone. I'm sure there are a lot of monsters inside." Luka said in a concerned tone.

"I know it's dangerous. But... Even then, I still must go!" she strongly insisted.

"Welp, guess we have no choice then. What say we help her out, Luka?" I proposed.

"...Alright, let's go together." Luka agreed.

"Together? With you? Well, having company is good... But are you going to be a burden?" the female soldier inquired skeptically to Luka.

"I was wondering the same of you..." Luka muttered.

"Eh, this guy may not look like much, but, I assure you, he can kick some ass." I quipped.

"And what about you? You look a bit more experienced." the female soldier asked.

"Eh, I can mostly hold my own, but among the two of us, he's the Hero. I'm just a tagalong." I shrugged.

Luka looked at me with a strange look.

"...Well, fine. Even if it's your first time searching a dungeon, since you're adventurers you should have at least a little experience fighting. You can give me some support." the female soldier conceded.

"Yeah, a little." I confirmed.

REALLY little in my case, I mused.

"Go ahead. I'll just wait here." Alice declared.

"Oh? You aren't coming?" Luka questioned.

"There isn't any food in an ancient ruin like that." Alice deadpanned.

"Sheesh... Shall we go... What's your name, by the way?" Luka suddenly asked the young woman.

"...How rude. Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" the young woman pointed out.

"Ah, sorry... I'm Luka. A Hero... Apprentice..." Luka weakly finished.

"Daniel. Nice to meet ya." I casually said.

"I'm Sara. I'm aiming to be the top swordswoman. But I'm still in training..." Sara concluded, gripping her sword tight.

"Eh, not like being the number one means you can stop making the effort. Otherwise that title ain't gonna last long." I shrugged.

"You're right... I can't slack off in order to catch up." Sara resolutely declared, before we started entering the Pyramid together, leaving Alice behind.

~– ~ – ~

"By the way Luka, was that silver haired woman your lover?" Sara suddenly asked Luka, as we moved through a stone corridor.

"That isn't it! She's... My travel partner..." Luka trailed off, blushing heavily.

"They're both still in denial. He's like a puppy, they're adorable together." I whispered in Sara's ear with an amused voice.

"I didn't take you for someone who enjoys that sort of thing..." she whispered back in surprise.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for happy endings. I'm cheesy like that. Plus, they both need each other more than they think..." I added.

"By the way, did you say you were doing some trial for your lover?" Luka asked, shaking off his embarassment.

"...Not my lover. It's a one-sided love right now... My love lives in isolation, devoted only to the sword... I doubt they even remember me..." Sara said in a sad tone.

"I see... That sounds rough..." Luka acknowledged.

Suddenly, a dark presence started closing in on us.

"Heads up. We got company." I warned my allies, taking a stance towards the enemy, having nowhere to hide in the confined space we were in.

"What?" Sara asked in confusion, as the monster looking like a female corpse covered in bandages turned the corner.

"Humans undergoing the trial... If you wish to continue, you must first defeat me." the Mummy Girl declared.

"No, I'm not actually going through the trial..." Luka started.

"I will defeat you and continue the trial!" Sara interrupted him, pulling out her sword.

"Err, no.. I'm actually..." Luka weakly protested.

"Luka, we did agree to help her out." I reminded.

He groaned, as he pulled out his sword as well.

"...Are you not going to draw your weapon?" the Mummy Girl asked me in a curious tone.

"I fight unarmed. This dagger is for cutting binds and such." I explained.

"I see... Then I will have to take that into consideration." the Mummy Girl said thoughtfully, before starting the fight.

Luka started summoning Sylph's power, as Sara and I rushed forward, with me moving to the Mummy Girl's back in a blur of movement.

"You're quick on your feet..." the Mummy girl commented in a slightly impressed tone, blocking my first strike with her arm.

"But that won't be enough." she finished, as her bandages started moving on their own trying to bind me.

I instantly used Broken shadow again to make some distance, as Sara struck the monster with her blade.

Unfortunately, her power was lacking, the Mummy Girl mostly unharmed by the slash.

Luka entered the battle at this moment, quickly slashing forward, his wind protecting him from the monster's bandages.

In the end, he basically finished the fight on his own with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"Magnificent... Continue on..." the Mummy Girl said, as she vanished, leaving behind only some bandages.

"Eh...? Did we... Win?" Sara asked in befuddlement, looking at the pile of bandages on the floor.

"These bandages would be useful if we got injured... Ahh! Did they just move!?" she yelped, as she jumped back from the sealed monster.

"Ah... That Mummy Girl from before didn't vanish. She just got sealed in those bandages." Luka informed her, before briefly explaining how his sword worked.

"Wow... Where did you get such a crazy weapon like that?" Sara asked in an envious tone.

"It was a gift. And before you ask, no, I don't think there are others like it." I provided.

"I see... That's too bad." Sara lamented, as we kept going.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked along the narrow passages, Sara spoke up once more.

"You're a lot stronger than you look. But you're still not as strong as they are" she commented, looking at Luka.

"I did tell you he could kick ass." I quipped.

"Are they really that strong?" Luka asked, inquiring about Sara's beloved.

"Of course! No matter how strong you get, you'll never match up. I wonder where you are now... Ahh, my lovely Granberia." Sara said in a dreamy tone.

"Eh...? Granberia? Who... Is this Granberia?" Luka asked for confirmation, glancing at my reaction.

I just looked at Sara with a slightly impressed face.

"She's very famous! You must have heard of her. She's one of the four Heavenly Knights, wielding a giant sword... What's with that strange face. Is it so strange for a human to fall in love with a monster?" Sara questioned in annoyance at Luka's gobsmacked expression.

"No... That isn't it..." Luka stammered, trying to keep his cool.

"Eh, just ignore him. He's just unused to people of different tastes, since the village he grew up in is quite devoted to Ilias." I provided.

"You two didn't grow up together?" Sara asked.

"Nope. We only met a few weeks ago." I disclaimed, as a presence started moving towards us.

"Hmm? This wind... Sara, we'll talk later... A monster is coming." Luka said, cutting off the conversation.

"Yeah, and not a weak one to boot. Be on your guard." I added.

"Wind? You can fel the wind? And you can tell how strong they are without even seeing them? That last one has to be a lie." Sara accused.

"Something like that..." Luka said.

"It's pretty much my best weapon for survival, though being unable to turn it off at will has its downsides..." I cringed, remembering Iliasport.

Luka blushed too, before focusing on the enemy, a Lamia subspecies slithering towards us.

She had multiple strangely insect-like limbs and her neck was reinforced by scales.

"Under instruction from Sphinx, I cannot let anyone weak pass. I shall eat all of you here." The Cobra girl declared, slithering up to us.

"Get out of our way! In order to finish the trial, I have to get by!" Sara demanded.

"Uhh, actually I..." Luka started.

"It's useless Luka. She's not going to let us pass with just words." I said, taking my stance.

Luka summoned Sylph again, as Sara moved to slash the Lamia.

I stepped in front of the monster, my eyes closed in concentration.

"Have you given up? Then, I shall feast upon you!" The Cobra Girl said, trying to roll me up in her tail.

With my eyes still closed, I weaved around her, following the tail's lenght, and landing a palm strike to her side.

Luka used the opportunity to rush in and use a Death Sword Chaos Star, weakening the monster.

Sara looked at our movements in awe, as the Cobra Girl retaliated by trying to bite Luka, only for me to punch her mouth slightly off course by hitting her jaw.

It was over soon after, as Luka stabbed the monster with Angel Halo a last time.

"How could I... Be defeated like this!?" the Cobra Girl stammered in disbelief as she turned into a normal cobra.

I made sure not to approach her, wary of her venom.

"Whew... She was pretty troublesome." Luka sighed in relief after the battle was over.

"It's a cobra this time..." Sara said, poking the sealed monster with her sheathe.

"...Whoa there, cobras are venomous you know?" I said in an appalled tone.

"It's not nice to bully them." Luka added.

Soon after, the cobra slithered away.

"You're amazing. Both of you. Luka carrying such a powerful sword, and able to use the power of the wind... And Daniel who can sense their movements even with his eyes closed..." Sara said in an admiring tone.

"Ah... T... thanks..." Luka stammered at the unexpected praise.

"Eh, it can actually be more trouble than it's worth. Besides, even if I sense them coming, if I can't dodge them it doesn't mean shit." I shrugged.

Sara was silent, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

"Can I ask you a question? How did you fall in love with Granberia?" Luka suddenly inquired, as we walked past yet another stone corridor.

"I'll never forget... It happened three years ago..." Sara started, before recounting the story of how Granberia had saved her life from a monster.

It was pretty much the same as I remembered, straight out of a cliched romance novel.

"I see..." Luka said thoughtfully, after Sara was done with her story.

"I haven't seen her since then. But I want to meet her again... That's why I've spent all of my time since then training. I was a complete amateur three years ago... But now I'm pretty amazing, don't you think?" Sara asked, looking for praise.

"Yeah... In your own way..." Luka said awkwardly.

I just stayed silent.

"So, why did you come to this Pyramid? Are you just trying to test your own ability?" Luka asked, changing the argument.

"She's from the Dragon race... So I studied them in great detail... Apparently there's a law that dictates who they can get married to. It seems like they can only get married to someone who has passed the Dragon Seal Trial here." Sara explained.

"I see... So that's why. So Granberia has no idea you're doing this?" Luka questioned.

"Of course not... I haven't seen her since our first meeting. I swore to myself that I wouldn't meet her until I was a suitable woman for her..." Sara declared.

"That's awfully one-sided... You know... It's possible it may not work even if you pass the trial..." Luka said uncomfortably.

"That won't be an issue... We can easily get over the racial barrier!" Sara strongly declared, trying to put an end to the conversation.

However, I chose to intervene.

"We?" I asked her in a curious tone.

"Yea, both me and her. Do you have a problem with that?" Sara challenged.

"No, but she might... Look, I'm not going to try to dissuade you from trying. Only, love doesn't always work out the way we want... You can't force someone else to accept your feelings..." I started, my dejected tone surprising her enough to keep silent.

"There could be a million possible reasons she could reject your proposal. Race, Sex, possibly even a preexisting lover you know nothing about. Not to mention that you haven't seen her in years, and, as you yourself admitted, she might not even remember you. I think it's beautiful that you can get past all of the problems and love her regardless. I admire that, in fact. It's beyond amazing that you are trying to better yourself for her sake." I praised, making her blush lightly.

"But if you truly love her, you have to be prepared to accept her own feelings too, even if they differ from your own. There's nothing wrong with you, even if she refuses at first. And it also doesn't mean she might not change her mind later. But if you expect to just appear in front of her, and for her to accept you straight away, you risk ruining everything for yourself. True love takes a long time spent together... At least, that's what I believe." I concluded, looking Sara in the eyes with a soft smile.

Sara looked torn for a few moments, her eyes glistening with tears, before she spoke out.

"I see... I was hasty huh? Indeed, she has the right to reject my feelings. She might already have a lover too..." she spoke in a distant tone, before closing her fists in determination.

"But that doesn't mean I will not try regardless! My feelings are not so weak that I could give up on them without even making my best possible effort!" she yelled resolutely, making me smile in satisfaction.

She would be fine, regardless of the result, I was sure...

"I cannot thank you enough. You truly opened my eyes. From now on, I will endeavour to learn more about my dear Granberia too, instead of thinking only of myself." she said gratefully.

"Think nothing of it. I will be rooting for you." I said dismissingly.

"Then, from today on, we are friends. If you ever need anything in Sabasa, you may count on me." Sara declared.

"Sure, why not?" I agreed heartily.

"By the way, why are you here? You said someone was caught inside a little while ago..." Sara inquired.

"Ah... They are... A noble." Luka replied ambiguously.

"Is it someone you know? A woman?" Sara asked, glancing at me.

"Nope. We never met her before." I answered.

Luka simply nodded in agreement.

"Coming here for someone you've never met... Are you here for love too?" Sara questioned.

"No, not love... More like... the obligation of a Hero, I suppose?" Luka said wryly.

"Yeah, we didn't even know what the trial was for." I added.

"Hmmm. You're strange." Sara concluded, as multiple presences entered my range.

"Hmm... The flow of wind is odd... Is this... A group of something...?" Luka guessed.

"Four of them to be precise. You're getting better at that. Good work." I complimented.

"More wind powers...? I want them too..." Sara pouted.

"They're coming! Don't let your guard down!" Luka said, as a group of red-skinned Lamias quickly rushed us.

"Sorry, but we can't let you pass by here." The oldest said.

"Sphinx said to only let the strong humans pass by." the second added.

"She said we can feed on any weak ones!" the third singsang.

The youngest one stayed silent, looking hungrily at our group.

"There are a lot of them this time... But with just this many..." Sara started, before the second Lamia quickly started moving towards her.

However, she never got to her, as I quickly executed a Broken Shadow to interpose myself with an extended fist, knocking the monster back lightly.

"Luka, I'll leave you the first and third. I'll take the second. Sara, can you take the youngest?" I quickly strategized.

"I can take more than one!" Sara protested.

"No, and neither can I. Luka is the only one strong enough for that." I declared, before rushing towards my opponent, as she shook off her surprise and did the same towards me.

"Oh, I'm flattered that you would pick me out of all my sisters... I'll reward you with the ultimate pleasure as I drain you dry!" the second Lamia yelled out, trying to coil around me.

In the meantime, Luka had summoned Sylph, and had engaged the two older lamias left, while the youngest was tangling with Sara.

I focused on my own opponent, dodging her tail, and retaliating with a couple quick strikes, before blurring backwards, dodging her hands as they shot towards my pants.

"Do you not want me to make you feel good? I promise you will enjoy it..." she flirted.

I shut off my hearing in response, her energy growing even more vivid to my sixth sense.

Then I approached her again, quickly launching myself in a flying kick towards her face.

She barely ducked out of the way, and I bounced against the wall using my legs, grabbing her shoulders and using them as a trampoline to flip myself back away.

However, she quickly charged me, using her tail as a spring, arms wide.

I threw myself on the ground, falling backwards, the Lamia's momentum sending her careening towards her youngest sister, that had managed to restrain Sara.

The blow knocked both of them on the ground, and I ran towards Sara, helping her out of the tangled bodies.

She was blushing slightly, making me chuckle.

Luka suddenly appeared behind us, jumping over us, and sealing the two Lamias on the ground before they could get up, having already finished his previous opponents.

"Are you ok, Sara?" Luka asked in concern.

"Hey... Am I useless...? I couldn't even defeat the weakest of them..." Sara asked in a frustrated tone.

"Well..." Luka started.

"You still held her attention. Luka and I might have had a harder time doing this alone. I couldn't take two of them, and he would have trouble with three." I explained.

"But still... I'm too weak..." Sara lamented.

"So what? Just train and get stronger. How long do you think Luka has been training for? Way more than three years, I'll tell you that much. And we both had an excellent teacher." I added, thinking of Alice's clear and concise lessons.

"I see... A teacher, huh... But father..." Sara muttered thoughtfully, as we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we reached the heart of the Pyramid.

"Where is this?" Luka asked aloud, as we reached a great hall full of hieroglyphics adorning the walls and columns within.

"Sphinx is supposed to be in the deepest part of the Pyramid..." Sara trailed off, as she walked around restlessly.

"...What the!?" Luka exclaimed as the wind warned him of the monster's presence as she appeared in front of us.

Sphinx's power was almost as strong as Alice herself.

She had a lion's body complete with wings, multiple serpents coming out of it and a huge open mouth, a woman's torso above the lion itself wearing a golden crown that looked like one of her snakes, the rest of her female body exposed if not for a few jewels.

"You finally reached here, oh weak humans." the ancient monster voiced out solemnly.

"Are you Sphinx?" Sara questioned.

"Indeed. I am the master of the Pyramid. I am the judge that watches over the deaths of those who would attempt the Dragon Seal Trial." Sphinx confirmed.

"So you're the final judge of the trial?" Sara inquired.

"Correct. If I deem you unworthy, I shall swallow you whole... Do you still wish to continue?" Sphinx warned.

"Eh...!? Excuse me... Could I ask a question?" Luka inquired in a nervous tone.

"I have no reason to answer your questions. The only thing I will acknowledge from you is whether you are taking the trial or not. If you aren't going to take it, leave at once." Sphinx demanded.

"Well, seems like we don't have much choice if we want to ask her anything." I noted.

"...I understand. I'll take it." Luka agreed.

"So what is the final trial? Do we have to fight you?" Sara asked the monster.

"Unless no dragons have gotten married in the time she has been presiding over the trial I don't think so." I nervously quipped.

"What? Why?" Sara asked.

"It is not possible for a mere human to beat me. It would be a pointless trial if the final task was impossible." Sphinx agreed, looking at me with slight interest.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Sara questioned.

"The final trial is a test of your mental power. You must answer my riddles. I prefer the wise... Fools deserve to be nothing but food." Sphinx declared.

"Riddles...? Sara... Daniel... Is this going to be ok...?" Luka asked her in worry.

"Of course! Probably. I studied a lot growing up after all..." Sara said hopefully.

I simply stayed silent, my expression a mask of stone.

"Alright! I'll count on you then!" Luka replied, as we turned to the Sphinx, awaiting her first question.

"Now, I ask of thee. What goes on four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk?" the monster said, reciting perhaps the most famous riddle ever.

"Eh...? A human!" Luka shouted, before Sara could reply.

"Even a child has heard that one..." Sara commented.

I still kept silent, my expression neutral.

"...Correct. Four as a baby crawling. Two as an adult walking. Three as an elder supported by a cane. Not that I need to explain to someone who answered correctly." the Sphinx confirmed, narrowing her eyes in bemusement.

"...Then we shall proceed to the next question. Why am I asking you riddles?" the monster questioned.

"To understand the transcience of man." I immediately answered.

The Sphinx turned to me in slight surprise at my quick response, as my friends did the same in worry.

"...That's correct. Did you already know the answer?" the Sphinx inquired, as my friends sighed in relief, looking at me in admiration.

"Even if I did, it shouldn't matter, right? Anyway, if the first question was a hint, and knowing the purpose of the trial, it would be easy to understand if one thought about it." I said.

"...Indeed. The life of a human is frail and short. Yet mine is so long..." Sphinx trailed off, as her face slowly turned sorrowful.

"Now the final question. In other words, this shall decide everything." she declared, as my comrades held their breath.

"Why are you taking this trial?" the monster asked.

"Sara. This one's on you. Me and Luka can't help you here." I immediately claimed.

"Eh...? Me...?" Sara stammered.

"...Do you not have an answer? If you do not give me your reason, I shall not acknowledge you." the Sphinx reminded.

"Me and Luka are not here for the trial. We only helped Sara through it, acting as her tools. We cannot answer your question, for we do not have a reason." I explained.

"Hm... Your words are true. Then, I shall ask the girl. Why are you taking this trial?" the Sphinx repeated.

"Sara. It's fine. Just say the truth." I encouraged with a small smile.

Sphinx glanced at me once, but then turned back to Sara.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you a good reason... I'm just doing this to get closer to the one I love!" Sara declared, making the monster go silent.

I closed my eyes and smiled.

Success.

Yet another step.

"What... Is that not good enough? Would "for honor" or "for justice" have been better?" Sara asked nervously having failed to notice my reaction.

"Why would you hesitate to answer with that? This Dragon Seal trial is intended to be for marriage between man and monster. However none have attempted it thus far with that as their reason. So far, the desire for the riches contained in this Pyramid have been their goal. Are you truly taking it in the name of love? Four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk. That is, a human. Nobody actually thinks about the meaning of this riddle. Attempting to marry a monster... Do you not realize the fatal flaw? The short lived nature of man?" Spinx questioned.

"In other words... Even if a human marries a monster, they will never live as long as their partner?" Sara deduced.

"...Correct. It is inevitable that the monster will be forced to watch their partner die. The human may have had a satisfactory life... But the monster will be forced to live on, separated from their love for far too long..." Sphinx said in a sorrowful tone.

"Well... That... Wait... Are you talking about yourself!?" Sara asked in sudden realization.

"A thousand years ago, I loved a human. He was the Hero Sabasa, the Emperor of the Burning Sands." Sphinx recounted.

"Eh...!?" Sara exclamied, her eyes widening.

"The first King!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Of course. It only makes sense that someone like you would preside over this trial..." I trailed off thoughtfully.

"Correct. Our child became the next lord of Sabasa Castle. For generations, the descendants of our child have ruled over this land." Sphinx continued.

"So that's what happened..." Luka said thoughtfully.

"My love slowly aged, as I could do nothing but watch him die. I wanted to use my magic to turn him into a monster to prolong his life... But he refused. He wished to face his death as a human. We were together until his death. Then I was alone..." Sphinx kept going.

Sara was silent.

"It was possible for me to die as a human. There is power in this world that can seal a monster as a human. If I used that, I could have met death together with him... But I did not. I was scared of death. If my love and I both died, none would remember him in this world. Having every memory of his life vanish from this world terrified me. Thus, I was separated from my love by death... For a thousand years, I have been alone..." the Sphinx concluded, before turning to face me.

"Your name was Daniel, was it not? You knew about the true meaning before my riddles from the start, didn't you?" Sphinx deduced.

"It was an easy guess for me. My dad is a human, but my mom is not." I lied.

Sara's eyes widened at my false revelation, while Sphinx simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"...So you already saw the consequences of difference in lifespan. Tell me, if it was you, what would you have chosen?" the monster inquired.

I was silent for a moment, my eyes closed in contemplation, as I couldn't help finally formulating the thought I had been avoiding...

"...I'm sorry, but I can't answer your question... After all... I don't even know how long I'll live." I confessed, thinking of my beard that had seemingly stopped growing, as my body turned into something I knew not the true nature of.

Everyone in the room stared at me with wide eyes, before Sphinx slowly turned her expression to a sympathetic one.

"I see... You have a unique constitution, do you not? Seemingly human, but not quite. Is that why I could not feel your aura this whole time?" she asked.

"It's probably connected. Though I can't be sure." I lied.

"I see..." she trailed off.

"What do you mean with that!?" Luka suddenly roared at me in an angry and desperate tone.

I could instantly tell what he was thinking.

"Whoa, chill out, I'm not dying, if anything it's probably the opposite!" I swiftly disclaimed, trying to calm my friend down.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

"My beard has stopped growing recently. I'm not sure what that means, but I might be reaching an age threshold, like many monsters do. If I'm right, I might look like this for a very long time is all. Though, again, it's all speculation. My case is quite unique." I explained.

"Your mother was a monster? That's amazing..." Sara spoke in an awed tone, as Luka sighed in relief.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome, but let's get back to the current situation shall we?" I smirked, turning back to Sphinx.

"...For one who loves a monster, the true trial is ahead. That is all I wished to say." Sphinx concluded.

"...I understand. I will never forget your pain. When I'm bound together with Granberia, what will I do... When the time comes, I won't forget this." Sara declared.

"I... won't forget either." Luka agreed.

"Couldn't if I wanted to." I concluded.

"You three have passed the trial. Now I shall present you with the proof of your accomplishment!" Sphinx declared as her energy surged.

"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed, as a small emblem of a dragon floated over the back of our hands for a few seconds, before marking our skin.

It hurt a bit, but it was bearable.

I could feel a hint of power present within the tatoo itself, though it was barely noticeable.

"...Well, I probably should have said something faster huh?" I quipped, as I lightly shook my hand.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Sphinx asked.

"Well, it's just that we all know the one Sara took the trial for, and I hope this doesn't cause any misunderstandings later..." I explained.

"Oh, that shouldn't be a problem. Dragons have no issue with polygamy, especially with how rare eligible partners are..." Sphinx assured.

"...That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence." I deadpanned.

Sphinx just chuckled in response.

"...Ah! I completely forgot! The kidnapped princess was taken here!" Luka suddenly yelled, finally remembering our own objective.

I was wondering when he would realize...

"I... know nothing about that. I am the master of the Pyramid, I know everything that happens here. There is no kidnapped princess here." Sphinx declared.

"Eh...? The princess of Sabasa... She should be here..." Luka stammered in confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Sara suddenly shouted.

"What's wrong, Sara? Do you know something?" Luka asked.

"The princess of Sabasa... Is me." Sara declared.

" Eh...? Ehhhh!?" Luka exclaimed in utter surprise.

"I thought as much..." I sighed, making Luka turn towards me.

"If you knew about it, why didn't you say anything!?" Luka demanded.

"Three reasons: First, I had no proof she was truly the princess, despite knowing she was monster-blooded. Second, this was supposed to be a secret mission, I couldn't ask her directly." I enumerated.

"I see... And the third?" Luka asked me.

"Your face when you found out was hilarious." I concluded with a fox-like grin splitting my face.

"AAAAAAARGH!" Luka shouted at the top of his lungs in frustration, before slumping to the ground.

"Uhm... Are you ok?" Sara asked him in concern, as I laughed my head off.

Sphinx herself chuckled good-naturedly as well.

"I'm fine... But what happened? I heard three days ago a monster broke your window and kidnapped you...?" Luka questioned.

"I kicked out the window of my room and snuck out of the castle. My father would never have allowed me to come here." Sara explained.

"A single word was left in horrible, hate-filled writing... Pyramid...?" Luka continued.

"It's true I left a message with my destination... But what the hell is with "horrible, hate filled"!? Is my handwriting really that bad!?" Sara yelled angrily.

"...So you left the castle of your own free will?" Luka deduced.

"I thought there might be an issue in not coming back for three days... But they thought I was kidnapped...?" Sara pondered uncomfortably.

"To think... I was right next to the princess the whole time..." Luka sighed, strenght leaving his body as he slumped to the ground again, making me laugh again.

"...The issue seems to have been resolved." Sphinx observed.

"That's one way to put it..." I quipped, wiping a tear from my eye at the great prank.

"...I shall bestow this upon you as well." Sphinx continued with a small smile, her hand holding a beautiful translucent yellow gem.

Inside it I could feel a similar power to the red one we already had.

"This gem looks familiar..." Luka commented, noticing the similarity as well.

"That is a magical item called the Yellow Orb. Though it has been kept in this Pyramid, it's no longer amusing to stop thieves and others from attempting to steal it. Therefore I shall give it to you." Sphinx explained.

"I'm not interested in magical items... Take it, Luka." Sara offered.

"Eh...? You don't mind? Then I'll take it..." Luka said, as he took the gem from Sphinx's hand.

"Hey, Sphinx... What is this Orb used for?" he questioned.

"It's used to revive the holy wings... But you need all six. Sell it or use it as an ornament. Do what you wish with it." Sphinx said.

"Ah... I see..." Luka said in confusion.

"I would keep those if I were you, we might need them later..." I advised him.

"Eh? Daniel, you know what she was talking about?" Luka said.

"I have a theory. Still, no harm in keeping them right?" I lied.

"I guess..." Luka shrugged, putting the Orb away.

"...I said I have lived in solitude and regret for years. But now I see it was not in vain. After a thousand years, I can once again see the flame that burned brightly in his eyes... In you, Sara." Sphinx said serenely.

"Eh... In me?" Sara said, before her eyes widened in realization.

I stayed silent.

"...Now farewell, humans. Like him, continue to lead a noble life." Sphinx said, before vanishing through a magic portal.

"...Even after a thousand years, she still loves him. That's amazing..." Sara said in admiration.

"Yeah..." Luka agreed.

"Personally, I find it much more amazing that you actually met such a distant ancestor. And randomly to boot. How crazy is that?" I added.

"...It was a pointless quest after all. You weren't even kidnapped." Luka said dejectedly.

"It wasn't pointless... I hate to say it, but without you both, I never would have made it this far... Thank you." Sara said gratefully.

"I guess it wasn't all a waste to come here..." Luka said in a brighter tone, as Sara narrowed her eyes, looking at the emblem on her hand.

I had already covered mine with my gloves.

Hopefully it wouldn't cause any trouble later...

"Please wait, Granberia... I'll meet you again soon for sure..." Sara said longingly.

"Are you going to meet her? At the Monster Lord's castle?" Luka asked.

"That would be the best place to start for sure... But I heard that she was recently in Iliasburg. I wonder if she's still around there somewhere? Ahh... I hope she comes to Sabasa castle!" she continued with a dreamy tone.

"Actually, she's probably not there anymore. I would know, I actually went with her to the Monster Lord's castle. Though seeing as she can apparently teleport, I don't know where she could be now..." I provided.

"What? What are you talking about?" Sara asked in confusion.

"Well, actually, we met her a couple of times, first at Iliasburg, and then again in San Ilia." I elaborated.

"You've met her!? How was she!? Did she say anything!? Did the guards hurt her!?" Sara demanded relentlessly.

"Whoa, chill out princess, she was fine, there was no way anyone could even scratch her in both places." I assured, trying to calm her down.

"Of course! Granberia is the strongest swordswoman in the world! No one can beat her! ...Wait. You said she took you to the Monster Lord's castle? Why?" Sara asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Eh, it's a long story, and believe me when I say I can hardly believe it happened either..." I sighed.

Seriously I had never even imagined Alma Elma COULD be depressed.

"I see..." Sara said in a thoughtful tone.

"...Anyway, let's get out of here. There's nothing left for us to do in here." Luka proposed.

"That's true... Then I'll trust you to escort me, little hero!" Sara declared happily.

"Oh, what am I, chopped liver?" I quipped, before we started walking out of the Pyramid, Alice rejoining us as we met outside.

On the way back to the castle, Sara and Luka discussed the King's probable matchmaking attempt, and prepared a countermeasure.

~– ~ – ~

We reached Sabasa without further issue, the King receiving us in the audience room after Sara was ready.

"Hero! You saved the princess! As King of this country, I give you my thanks! You are a true Hero!" The King said gratefully in a boisterous tone.

"Th.. Thank you..." Luka said nervously, as the King got up from his throne and approached us.

"...And allow me to thank you again as a parent. Luka! Thank you! Thanks to you my daughter was saved!" The King humbly thanked him again, vigorously shaking his hands.

"Ah... Don't... Mention it..." Luka stammered, shaken from the man's intensity.

"...Now, as I promised, the Sabasa fish you requested will be served at the feast tonight." The King declared.

"Huh?" Sara and Luka exclaimed, having expected the King to try and marry them, having practiced their lines all the way to the castle.

I just smiled proudly.

Truly, the King was a great man, as I had thought.

He just needed a slight push in the right direction, unlike me who needed to be shoved all the way into another world to finally start changing...

But, nevertheless, I was glad to be the one that gave it to him.

It was the greatest accomplishment I had achieved in that world yet.

Even if I had done it by making use of my unfair advantage...

"Let the feast be prepared right away, for these fine people who saved our beloved princess!" the King ordered loudly to his subjects, before approaching our group.

"May I have a word with you?" The King pleaded humbly to the mere traveler I was.

"Of course." I easily agreed, following the King to a different room, leaving Luka and the others behind with confused expressions for the moment.

~– ~ – ~

After we were alone, the King bowed to me, before starting to speak in a serious tone.

"...I must thank you. Not only did you help save my daughter, you also opened my eyes about the enormous mistake I was about to commit. Indeed, my motivations were selfish. I wanted my daughter to marry someone I could approve of, so that I could leave the throne to someone more suitable than a simple-minded warrior like I. But I did not consider my own daughter's feelings about this matter, turning a blind eye to her plight. Many times before, she has rejected all her suitors. As a King, I wanted a successor, more than I wanted my daughter's approval... But I should never have tried to force matters. In the future, I will endeavour to be a parent first, and a King second." the man declared, bowing deeply towards me.

I chuckled lightly once, before gesturing at the King to make him rise his head, and started to speak as well.

"There's no need for you to thank me like that. I didn't really do all that much. As for your decision, I cannot say for sure whether you should consider yourself a King or a parent first, as I do not know the burdens of the crown you carry. But as Sara's friend, I am glad you want to respect her will about this matter... Though, I will warn you, her true feelings may surprise you. She might be different from what you think. She has hidden something from you, afraid you would think less of her, or that you would try to take matters in your own hands again. I hope you will brace yourself before discussing this with her, as it will not be easy... But as long as you hold the resolution to accept what she has hidden, know that you will give her a happiness you cannot imagine." I replied in a serious tone, finishing with a serene smile.

The King was silent for a moment, looking at me in surprise.

"...I see... Are you sure you don't like my daughter?" he finally asked.

I snickered in response.

"Falling back into old habits already?" I quipped.

"Well, I am an old war dog... It's hard for us to learn new tricks. You youngsters have it easy." The King replied, chuckling as well, before we rejoined the others back at the feast.

~– ~ – ~

"Ooohhh... So this is the Sabasa fish! The lemon sauce looks amazing... I can't contain myself!" Alice exclaimed, before rapidly attacking her food.

"I've been meaning to ask actually... Fish in a desert?" I questioned in a puzzled tone to a nearby soldier.

"Of course, the Sabasa oasis is massive and prosperous! Our fish is widely known around the world for its taste!" the soldier proudly declared.

"Huh. How about that..." I acknowledged in an impressed tone, as I bit into the admittedly delicious fish.

"Sir Daniel?" another soldier called out, as he approached me.

"For the love of all that is holy, do not call me Sir, I feel older already. What is it?" I quipped, before turning to face him.

"...Princess Sara has requested for you to meet her. She is waiting in her chambers." the soldier informed me.

What?

"Can this not wait? I was eating..." I lamented, turning to my suddenly empty plate.

"This is delicious!" Alice exclaimed, as she bit into a fish that looked remarkably similar to the one that was on my plate a second before.

Holy hell, she was fast!

I barely even sensed it happening!

"Well, I guess I'm full then." I drily quipped, already planning revenge.

...Now I thought about it, I still had to get back at her from before, didn't I?

I got up from my seat and followed the soldier escorting me to Sara's room.

~– ~ – ~

"It's me. You wanted to see me?" I asked, after knocking on the wooden door.

"Yes, come in." Sara's voice immediately said.

I obliged, entering the luxurious room and closing the door behind me.

"So, what's up?" I asked conversationally.

"Well, I was thinking of giving you a reward for all you did for me... Luka already has that silver-haired woman, so I thought better than asking him..." she trailed off.

"I don't particularly need anything. By the way, have you spoken to your father yet?" I quickly changed the argument, sensing where the conversation was going.

"Huh? No, what did you two talk about?" Sara inquired in a slightly worried tone.

"I think he will approach you soon. You might be surprised by what he will have to say. Just try to be delicate though, he IS an old man, some things will be hard to swallow for him..." I trailed off uncomfortably.

"...What!? You... You managed to make him listen to you?" Sara asked in shock.

"And to you, hopefully. Again, be careful not to overwhelm him too much..." I repeated.

Sara just stood there, mouth agape, for a few seconds.

Then she started walking towards me, a hand moving towards my face, the other to my waist.

I grabbed them both, stopping her advance.

"...What are you doing?" I questioned in a calm tone.

"I have to thank you... No, I want to thank you." Sara declared, her voice dazed.

"Thanking me like this will not work for me. Sorry." I apologised.

"Do you not find me attractive?" Sara asked in a slightly pained tone.

"It's not that..." I started.

"Then, do you already have a lover too?" Sara questioned, interrupting me.

"No..." I started again, but again she interjected.

"Is it because I'm a princess? Is it my father?" she relentlessly inquired.

"No." I firmly stated.

"Then why?" she asked.

I sighed tiredly, before starting to speak again.

"First of all, you already have someone you love, even if I don't..." I started again.

"That is that, and this is this. I'm indebted to you, and wish to show my appreciacion with my whole being." she interjected once more.

"That's just it. It may be something different for you, but it isn't for me." I claimed.

"...What do you mean?" she questioned in a perplexed tone.

"Basically, my views on sex are somewhat uncommon. I closely associate physical intimacy with love. True love, the one lovers feel. Like the one you have with Granberia. It just feels wrong to me to use sex as payment, or as anything that isn't a way of showing absolute acceptance to a partner that you love, and are loved by." I explained.

"But isn't sex also part of a healthy relationship? How can you know if you love someone if you never connect with them that way?" Sara pointed out.

"...I don't know. But I do know that this is not right. I cannot accept this sort of thing as a reward. Besides, what would Granberia think if she knew about this?" I questioned.

"I don't think she would mind, I mean she's a monster, she's got to be used to this sort of thing. I don't mind if she has other lovers either." Sara shrugged.

"You're making the assumption her views on love are the same as yours. Besides, even if she was fine with you being with others, she probably won't like it if it's me..." I trailed off uncomfortably.

"What? Why would that be?" Sara asked in confusion.

"Well... I may have pointed a dagger at her throat one time... I don't think she likes me much..." I wryly confessed.

"What." Sara asked in a deadpan tone, but I could already feel the fury mounting behind her confusion.

"I never actually had any intention to hurt her! It was the first time I even used a dagger! I wouldn't have been able to put a scratch on her if I wanted to, I was just bluffing my ass off so she wouldn't kick it!" I quickly defended in a fearful tone.

Sara stared at me for a few moments, her eyes blazing pits of hellish fury, before she finally sighed and closed them.

"...You're lucky you're my friend." she finally said, making me sigh in relief as I wiped the cold sweat from my brow.

Then she grabbed me by the balls.

"But if you do that again, I will cut it off." she declared with a chilling, wrathful tone.

I didn't need to ask what she meant, as I nodded fearfully.

I left the room soon after, with slow and careful steps.

That night, I had nightmares about crazy princesses with chainsaws...

~– ~ – ~

"Are you already leaving here? That is regrettable..." The King said mournfully, as we were ready to depart the day after.

"Thank you for your kindness, Hero. I shall pray to the Goddess for safety on your travels." Sara said, with a fake, gentle smile.

However, I already knew her true nature.

"It seems as though my daughter put you through a lot of trouble. Allow me to apologize." the King pleaded apologetically.

"No, no... Don't worry about it..." Luka said nervously.

"If you are ever nearby, please stop by again. Well then, I wish you luck in your travels. Your sword will surely save many more in the future." The King declared in a kind tone.

"Thank you!" Luka said happily, as we left the audience hall.

"...Thank you, Luka, Daniel. If you both weren't there, I would never have passed the trial." Sara whispered, as she caught up to us in the castle's corridors.

"Don't mention it... You did your best too." Luka said encouragingly.

"What are friends for?" I simply smirked.

"What are you going to do from now on? Continue traveling? Making a world where man and monster can coexist... I want that, too..." Sara said wishfully.

"Thank you... I wish you luck with your dream, too." Luka encouraged.

"Just try not to give your old man a heart attack." I pleaded, making her chuckle.

"Next time you come to Sabasa, please visit. I want to hear all about your travels." Sara requested.

"Of course... Well then, until next time!" Luka said in a last farewell.

"Goodbye!" Sara said.

"See ya!" I quipped, as we left Sabasa castle.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, we were walking through the desert again.

"It looks like you got quite close to that princess." Alice commented, looking at me.

"If by close you mean she threatened to cut my dick off, sure." I denied.

"What?" Luka asked in complete befuddlement.

"Don't ask. You don't want to know." I said in a terrified tone, thinking of my nightmares the night before.

Alice smirked knowingly.

I surely didn't want to know what went on in HER head.

"But... We had to trick the King... I feel bad at that..." Luka said, hinting at Sara's 'kidnapping'.

"...Don't worry, he already knew." Alice informed him.

"Eh?" Luka let out.

"Didn't the King say it when you left? 'It seems like my daughter put you through a lot of trouble.'" Alice quoted.

"Ah! He did!" Luka exclaimed in realization.

"That King is no oaf. Even if I don't know the whole story, I'm sure he knew everything from the start." Alice praised.

"Ehh, I don't think he knows 'everything' yet..." I trailed off.

"What did you two talk about?" Luka asked me.

"Eh, we spoke about a few things, before he ruined the moment by falling back into old habits." I said cryptically.

"Aren't you glad you have her father's approval?" Alice quipped.

"Actually, she likes Granberia." I countered.

"...What?" Alice asked in confusion making me laugh loudly as we walked towards our next adventure.


	29. Chapter 29: Failing to save a life

"...Let's go to the Witch Hunt village. I have to stop that crazy Lord..." Luka said in a worried tone, as we stepped over the scorching sands.

"More of you thrusting your face where it doesn't belong. Isn't it a Hero's duty to fight monsters? Why stick your head into humans killing each other?" Alice scoffed.

"I can't allow that to happen... No matter the reason, I don't want humans killing humans." Luka declared.

"I agree." I spoke out, in a tone that barely concealed the anger I felt even from just thinking about the utter atrocities that had been, and still were, perpetrated in that village.

"Sheesh..." Alice sighed, seemingly not noticing my inner fury, as we headed south towards our next destination.

~– ~ – ~

That night, I could hear Luka's sobs, and I could feel Alice's unconscious body twitching, tears leaving her eyes without a sound escaping her, and I knew that they both were dreaming of their mothers.

I purposely kept myself awake, not allowing myself to sleep comfortably during their plight.

I was aware that I could do nothing to soothe their pain.

But, even so, I couldn't ignore it.

Most of all, however, I did not want to risk dreaming of my own...

~– ~ – ~

"My mother's death... That's a dream I haven't had in a while..." Luka commented the morning after in a sad tone, as we started dismantling our camp.

"...How strange, I had one too. A dream from when I lost my mother long ago..." Alice remarked.

"Really? That's surprising... Did you swear to your mother that you would do something, too?" Luka asked her.

"...Who knows." Alice said neutrally after a long moment of silence.

"I vowed to my mother that I would become a Hero. But I only managed to be a fake Hero... Do you think my mother is sad up in heaven?" Luka questioned in a pained tone.

I couldn't take it anymore.

"No." I firmly declared before Alice could answer, making both of them turn to me with surprised expressions.

"I may not have met your mother. I may know little of her. But I know you. And there is no way she could be anything but proud, especially after seeing how much you love her still." I spoke in a definite tone, unable to stay silent, without even turning around as I kept packing my supplies.

For a moment, Luka was still.

Then, suddenly, I felt his arms over my body, as he hugged me from behind.

"Thank you..." he whispered gratefully, his eyes glistening with tears.

"You do know I need to breathe, right?" I asked in a wheeze, as he clasped my torso with all his strenght.

He seemingly did not hear me, still clinging to my back like a goddamn koala.

Alice looked away from us with an uncomfortable face, before squawking again, as I sighed and dragged her in for a hug myself.

"Stop doing that!" she yelled angrily.

"Not as long as you keep making faces like that, sister." I quipped.

"...Besides, what I said to him applies to you and your mother too." I added in a low whisper near her ear, my eyes meeting hers directly, something I usually instinctively avoided, afraid of her mind-altering abilities.

Her own eyes widened at that, and she hid her tears behind a scoff.

However, my new sense could feel everything.

Everything but myself anyway...

We spent a few minutes like that, before I purposefully ruined the moment.

"By the way, Luka, have I mentioned you really remind me of a puppy at times like this? And you, Alice, you're always so grumpy, why don't you ask him to hug you too sometimes?" I quipped in a teasing tone.

They both instantly broke away from the hug, glaring back at me.

"I'm an adult, damnit! It doesn't make me happy to hear someone say I'm like a cute puppy!" Luka loudly protested.

"I never said cute. I just said puppy." I quipped again.

"Hmph. As if. You're lucky I owed you for that fish back in Sabasa castle. Otherwise I would have to punish you heavily for such disrespect. As it is we are even. I would not try that again if I were you." Alice scoffed pridefully.

"Actually... You still owe me from the first time, remember? Back on the ship to Port Natalia? And I have just found the perfect revenge..." I trailed off, a mad fox-like grin spreading over my face.

"...! You wouldn't dare..." Alice started, but I ignored her threats.

"From now on, you must allow Luka to hug you whenever he wants, with no resistance whatsoever! Mwahahaha!" I declared, before cackling madly in a perfectly cliched evil laughter.

"Y...You...!" Alice growled, looking absolutely livid.

I just laughed even harder.

Suddenly, Luka slowly closed the distance between them, and hugged her.

Alice was stunned for a moment, but she followed my rule, despite her obvious reluctance, as a small blush appeared on her face.

I had never been prouder of the young Hero, as I laughed even louder.

We started walking a little while later, moving towards our objective.

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, the atmosphere had grown serious again, as we had remembered just what we were there for, but I could tell both Luka and Alice were a little more relaxed.

I was glad I had managed to make them feel better, even just a little bit.

It helped soothe the guilt I still felt...

~– ~ – ~

We reached the village a little bit later.

The very atmosphere of the place felt oppressive, like the earth itself despaired at what had been done above it.

"This is the Witch Hunt village?" Luka said, overlooking the dull and lifeless settlement.

"...Well, what are you going to do? To begin with, are you even capable of doing anything here?" Alice inquired to Luka.

"For now, I want to meet the Lord and tell her to stop." Luka explained.

"...Are you an idiot? Do you think she would just say 'Oh, ok.' or something!?" Alice deadpanned.

"I know it won't work. But if she ignores me, I'll just stop her by force!" Luka declared.

"Oh, so it's just going to be a premeditated crime then. You barbarian. You're pretty violent, you know." Alice insulted.

"Sorry Alice, but I agree with Luka on this one. When someone abuses their power, and make others suffer for their enjoyment, that's when they get taken down. You said it yourself when you spoke of the Monster Lord Heinrich defeated. When you enact savagery, you should expect savagery back." I quoted with a serious voice.

Alice scoffed again, but did not retort.

"Are you travelers? You must not enter this village. Turn back right away. That silver-haired woman will be quickly caught. But it isn't just women accused of being witches... A young boy like you would be caught just as fast!" A female villager frantically warned us in a hushed voice.

"...Thank you, miss. But I..." Luka started, as two soldiers approached us from behind.

"Travelers! Don't move! I need to inspect you first." one of them ordered.

"Peasant! What are you saying to these travelers? Are you a witch!?" the other soldier shouted.

"Th... They were just asking for directions, sir!" the villager said, before she backed away and ran off, whispering a last apology at us.

"Strangers, why have you come to this village?" the first guard questioned, but before we could answer, the other yelled out.

"You, woman! What's with the color of your hair!? You must be a witch!" he declared, as he pulled out a small knife.

"It's said that a witch doesn't bleed even when cut. Therefore, just let me make a cut on your hand so we can check. If you're not a witch, blood will come out. Do you understand?" he questioned, as he moved towards Alice, but at this point I interposed myself, quickly snatching the small blade from his hand with a fluid movement.

"What are you doing!?" the guard asked furiously.

In lieu of an answer, I stared him right in the eyes with a neutral expression, as I gripped the weapon's blade with my hand, a metallic screech echoing through the air as I crushed the metal under my grip, a little drop of blood falling from the tip pointing to the outside of my fist.

As I released my fingers' grasp on the small knife, revealing its mangled and bloodied form, the soldiers stared at it with wide eyes.

"Satisfied?" I asked in a calm voice, with a sudden, demonic smile splitting my face, as I let the scrap of metal fall from my slightly scratched hand.

The two soldiers showed the better part of their valor and ran away screaming like little girls.

I felt pretty badass at that moment, though my hand hurt like fuck...

I laughed loudly at their retreating forms, as Luka examined the handle of the small weapon I had dropped.

"...I knew it, this knife..." he trailed off, looking at the mechanism that allowed the blade to retreat inside the handle, though it was now impossible for it to fit inside.

"Hmph. Running away at just being a little surprised. They're just acting arrogant because of their Lord." Alice scoffed in disgust.

"Unforgivable... Using this, they're sending so many to their death..." Luka growled, his fury rising.

Soon after that, we started walking around the village, looking for more information.

~– ~ – ~

Overall, we didn't find much of anything useful, but we easily obtained the location of the Lord's house.

Luka's rage grew more and more, as the villagers pleaded to help their captured loved ones, some of which they hadn't seen in years.

"I won't forgive her! Is that her house!?" Luka roared, as he looked towards a huge mansion to the center of the village.

"Sheesh... You're really into this aren't you?" Alice asked in a resigned tone.

However, as Luka started moving towards the house, I held him back.

"Stop." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me go!" he protested.

"No." I calmly replied.

"Why!?" he asked loudly, starting to struggle.

"Because you haven't asked me how my hand is doing." I simply answered.

"What?" Luka asked in confusion, stopping his struggles, before looking back at me, his expression turning horrified as he noticed that the limb I used to stop him was leaving a small red smudge on his clothes.

"Daniel! You're hurt!" he yelled fearfully.

"It's just a scratch. But you didn't stop to check, even after you saw the blood earlier. Do you see now why you can't let your rage control you? If you want to save as many people as possible, you must always keep a clear head. Otherwise, next time, it might be YOUR wounds you fail to notice. If you yourself die, all of the people you would save if you live will perish too. Never forget that." I strongly declared, as I took out my first aid kit and started medicating my cut.

It wasn't anything serious, but it was better safe than sorry.

Luka stared at me dumbfounded for a few seconds, before he closed his eyes in concentration, his raging energy slowly settling down.

Finally he opened his eyes.

"Thank you." he said gratefully.

"What are friends for? Now let's get in that mansion and kick some ass." I quipped, gripping my injured hand tightly over the bandages.

He nodded in response, before turning to Alice.

"You don't have to come, Alice. This is a human problem, after all." he offered.

"Certainly... It doesn't seem like there's any food that would interest me there. But don't let your guard down, you two. That mansion is very strange." Alice warned.

"Strange...? Whatever it is, we'll deal with it together! Right Daniel?" Luka asked, as Alice vanished from sight.

"Sure, just don't rely on me too much. Remember, that's what Sylph is here for." I reminded, as we moved towards the mansion.

~– ~ – ~

Two soldiers, different from the ones before, were standing in front of the gate, as Luka and I approached them.

"I want to meet the Lord." Luka stated.

"Who are you!? Lily wouldn't meet some outsider!" the first one shouted.

"You're suspicious... Are you a witch!? Allow me to test you, if you wish to prove your innocence." the other demanded.

Luka was silent for a moment, before green power started to surge within him.

"...Sylph!" Luka called out, as a powerful wind knocked the helmets off the heads of the two soldiers.

"What the hell!?" the first yelled.

"No way... A real witch!?" the other stammered fearfully.

"What the hell is that? So you mean you've never seen a real one after all this time?" Luka questioned in disgust.

"Witch! A real one!" the first guard shrieked.

"Shit! Run away!" the other yelled, as they both did just that.

I was tempted to beat them down, but I conserved my energy for saving as many people as I could inside.

I knew of at least one person Luka wouldn't be able to save, and I would do all I could to diminish the guilt he would feel, even by the smallest fraction.

I was the one that was supposed to feel guilty, not him.

"Unforgivable! I have to stop this right away!" Luka declared, as we ran inside the mansion itself.

~– ~ – ~

"What is this...?" Luka voiced out in confusion, overlooking the interior of the mansion.

The room had the appearance of a cliched witch's house, strange ingredients lined up on shelves and a cauldron in the middle.

Inside, a woman with green hair, wearing a dress of the same color, was reading from a book, before raising her head from it as she noticed Luka's entrance.

I had purposefully positioned myself out of her line of sight, hidden behind the wall to the side of the doorway.

"Hehe... How surprising." the green-clothed woman chuckled.

"Who are you?" Luka inquired.

"I am the Lord of this mansion, Meister Lily. A sorcerer aiming to understand the truth of all creation." Lily replied.

I could feel within her energy a dark power flowing through it, unnatural and foreign, small threads of it stretching from her towards various directions.

"No way... The Lord herself is a witch!?" Luka yelled in disbelief, before collecting himself.

"I have a lot I want to ask you... But most importantly... What happened to everyone you kidnapped!?" he demanded.

"I used the women as experimental materials. The men... I just squeezed out their seed until they were dry, then discarded them." Lily replied calmly, as if talking about the weather.

"You...! Why are you doing such awful things!?" Luka inquired furiously.

"This old-fashioned village always rejected 'knowledge' and 'magic'. But ever since I took over as Lord five years ago, I've been fascinated by magic power. So I decided to use their prejudice to start a witch hunt to collect materials for my experiments." Lily recounted.

"Experimental materials... That's all they are!?" Luka asked in an enraged voice.

"It looks like you hold some magic power too. Why don't you join me?" Lily offered.

"...I'll never be a companion of yours." Luka declared.

"Is that so? Well then, I'll just capture you and research your power. First... Allow me to analyze your semen. Hehe... First I want to do a reproductive experiment. I'll be careful... A fine specimen like you is too rare to break." Lily seductively spoke.

"Don't screw around! I'll rescue everyone here that's still alive!" Luka yelled resolutely.

"Oh? Hehehe... Welcome to my mansion then. Please take your time and... Make yourself at home." Lily finished, as she escaped through a different door.

I hadn't intervened during the conversation, as I did not want to waste time exploring the large mansion with Luka.

Having Lily lead us to the prisoners herself would have been faster, I hoped.

"Hey! Stop!" Luka yelled after her, as he started running. I followed behind him, keeping to the shadows.

~– ~ – ~

"What the... Is this a prison? Is anyone here?" Luka asked aloud, as he entered a long corridor lined with cages.

Inside the cages I could feel various living beings' presences, some dark in nature, some flickering and weakening.

I instantly sprung into action, closing in on them, prioritizing those whose aura was weakest, still keeping to the shadows in order to advance undisturbed.

I idly noted through my magic sense that whenever a man ejaculated, a good part of their elemental energy left their bodies, likely a consequence of the act itself.

Was this the reason behind the concept of Critical Ecstasy?

It would explain the sudden weakness experienced by those that underwent it, as this world's beings apparently could not survive without magical energy, according to Alice.

It also would explain why excessive sexual activity could lead to death so easily compared to my world.

Maybe it was even connected to fertility, seeing as the energy seemingly concentrated in genitalia, though I had no idea if that meant anything...

"How horrible... But what is that thing... Is it a monster? ...There's more than one too..." Luka thought aloud, looking at the various tentacled beings around him.

"Hehe... Aren't they wonderful?" Lily's voice resounded from the other side of the room.

In the meantime, I had started rapidly extracting men from the tentacles, pulling them out with all my strenght.

Most of them were unconscious, and did not respond, but I could tell they would survive, if barely.

Unfortunately, not all of them were so lucky...

"Lily!" Luka shouted angrily, as the woman in green snapped her fingers.

In the next instant, a tentacled being assaulted Luka from above.

He dodged backwards, taking out his blade in preparation.

"This little child is one of my precious creations. It used to be a female villager..." Lyly explained.

"What!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"Hehe... Don't you want it to suck you too? It feels amazing... Just look at all the other men going insane... What?" Lily stopped, as she finally noticed my presence, as I freed another young man from the grasp of a transformed villager.

"I'll never forgive you!" Luka yelled, charging her.

However he was forced to stop again, as a tentacle shot out of the monster in front of him, and he barely moved away from it.

"...Hahaha... Have fun! Both you and your friend!" Lily taunted, before moving to another room.

"I don't have a choice..." Luka said, as he started fighting the Suck vore.

In the meantime, I kept saving more and more men, even as the other transformed villagers tried to find me.

However, they were apparently blind, and, obviously they could not feel my energy either, making it easy for me to quickly weave through them, pulling out as many people as I could.

Unfortunately, I still wasn't fast enough, as a couple of them expired in front of my eyes...

I forced myself to keep moving, as rapidly as I could.

Luka made quick work of the Suck Vore that blocked his path, rapidly slashing her while protected by Sylph's wind.

After a last blow, the tentacled being dissipated into particles, and the particles recombined in the form of a human female.

"The girl! What should I do... Maybe I should help everyone first..." Luka hesitated, seeing the result of his actions.

"Don't worry about them! I'll take care of keeping as many as possible alive! I can feel the monsters' energy connected to Lily's! If you defeat her, they might go back to normal!" I yelled out, avoiding some tentacles shot my way, the creatures reacting to the loud sound of my voice.

"Alright! Thanks! I'll leave this to you! Please everyone, just hold on until I take care of Lily!" Luka answered, as he rushed forward.

I just kept putting in my maximum effort into removing from the tentacles those that needed it most, before I judged that those that were left were healthy enough to move on to the next section.

~– ~ – ~

As I arrived, Luka finished sealing the Worm villager he fought in canon as well.

"What is... This... My power... Escaping..." the now normal girl stammered, as she fell to the ground, unconscious but unharmed.

"Whew... I managed to seal the tentacle." Luka sighed in relief, as I quickly sprang into action here as well.

Suddenly the sound of metal against metal resounded in a room near us.

The Iron Maiden, I instantly realized.

"Is there someone else fighting besides us!?" Luka yelled, as we both rushed forward towards the source of the noise, arriving in front of a jail cell containing a young soldier and the Iron Maiden monster shaped like the omonymous torture device.

"What is that!?" Luka yelled out, as I grabbed one of the prison bars with my hands and pulled as strongly as I could.

Unfortunately, the metal was tough.

I could tell I was making progress, but it was far too slow.

"Shit... You freaking monster!" the soldier cursed, as he was backed into a corner.

Luka grabbed the same bar as me, realizing my plan, and we pulled together, as strongly as we could.

"You push from inside as well! It's the only way!" I yelled desperately at the soldier, who had been about to dissuade us.

He noticed the bar moving slightly, and joined our effort as well.

Finally, the moment before the monster was about to close her lid on the man, the bar snapped out of its placement, the young soldier falling on top of us, the Iron Maiden too large to fit through the gap left behind, looking at us in irritation from inside the cell.

"Th... Thank you..." the soldier stammered, breathing heavily.

"Just get out of here! Hide somewhere safe!" I ordered, as I felt another Iron Maiden approaching.

"Another one!?" Luka yelled out, looking at the living torture device, as the soldier snapped out of his reverie and started to run out of the room.

I could only hope he would make it, as I turned to face our enemy

"They're quick to shut their lids, but not so fast at opening it! Their muscles must be like a crocodile's jaw!" I yelled out, as I blurred to the side of the monster, my speed taking her by surprise, using both arms to hold the torture device closed.

"Now, Luka! attack her from the back!" I shouted to my friend, as the Iron Maiden struggled against my hold.

However, while I could likely not keep her from closing with my current strenght, my theory about her structure was seemingly correct.

Luka followed my advice, attacking the monster in a way she couldn't retaliate against.

Finally, a last slash from Angel Halo sealed the enemy, ending the fight.

"Go! I'll take care of the rest! I'll reach you as soon as I can!" I instructed Luka, getting back to my life-saving efforts.

He silently nodded, and moved forward to kick down the door Lily was behind.

~– ~ – ~

A loud crack resounded, as the wood broke apart before Luka's boot.

"Really... How savage. Shouldn't you knock before opening the door?" Lily's voice said, as I still kept trying to keep as many people alive as possible in the adjacent room.

"I'll never forgive you! Killing and playing with humans as if they were mere objects..." Luka furiously shouted.

"You just don't understand. My experiments are a noble endeavour for valuable research..." Lily proclaimed.

"There's nothing more valuable than life!" Luka declared resolutely.

On this, I agreed wholeheartedly.

But I knew Lily had a different opinion.

"Hehe... What a shallow sense of justice. This world contains things you cannot comprehend. This old village always had a policy of exclusion against outsiders. While living here, I was able to catch a glimpse of the ugliest humanity had to offer. This research... Is just my gift to repay them for that." Lily scoffed.

"...How conceited. Stop your brutality right here, and free all your prisoners. Otherwise..." Luka threatened.

"Otherwise... What, exactly? Do you think you're a match for Meister Lily, the Seeker of Truth? You're the conceited one... You actually think your pathetic magic can hold up to mine!?" Lily said arrrogantly, revealing her true power, as her arms transformed themselves into tentacles.

"The same as the female villagers..." Luka said in realization.

"These aren't the same at all... Those were partial experiments... This is the finished product! My tedious experiments yielded the ultimate organ. I'll show you the beauty of my research!" Lily declared.

"...I'll show you something myself. The anger and sadness of those whose lives you've destroyed!" Luka yelled, as he was surrounded by Sylph's power, a small tornado raging around him.

He immediately started wailing on Lily, his blade cutting her ever-growing tentacles to shreds in a deadly dance, his wind protecting him from most of her attacks.

"Oh... A bit more than I expected. Let me see all of your power!" Lily yelled, as her tentacles suddenly coiled around Luka.

"Hehe... I caught you. It's time to experiment..." she gloated, as she lowered Luka's pants, even as he struggled.

"Ahh... the sense of superiority from dominating a struggling man is the best. Drown in the pleasure... I'll wrap around it..." she said, as a tentacle wrapped around his member.

"Le... let go!" Luka repeated, as he struggled fiercely, breaking Lily's hold.

"You escaped... as I thought, you have a modicum of power..." Lily acknowledged, as Luka pulled up his pants, and reentered the fight with yet another Death Sword Chaos Star, devastating her defenses.

"Impossible... I'm being cornered...? The results of my research... They can't be failures..." Lily stammered, before shooting a particularly energized tentacle towards Luka.

As the tentacle impacted Luka's penis, his energy was thrown in disarray.

"Faa..." he moaned, his eyes glazing over.

"Hehe... It's irresistible, isn't it? Now to play with you... I'll explore you with my tentacle... Rejoice... for my tentacles will bring you great pleasure!" Lily gloated, as her tentacles caressed Luka's entire body, making him moan softly.

However, suddenly, his energy returned to normal, and he slashed at her again, making enough distance to meditate quietly, his power recovering its stability.

Then he advanced on her again, slashing her neck with a Demon decapitation.

"Impossible... I can't be beaten!" Lily stammered in disbelief, staggering under Luka's unrelenting assault.

"...It's the end for you. You'll pay for all the horrible things you've done to this village!" Luka yelled resolutely.

"Horrible things...? To the village? You're wrong! The village did horrible things to me!" Lily yelled in a pained tone, pausing her attacks, as Luka stilled as well.

"...My mother was a dancer born in Sabasa. She was a mistress of the Lord of this village, and I was eventually born. Of course, I was viewed as nothing but a hindrance... The daughter of some foreign prostitute... The villagers despised me." Lily started recounting.

Luka silently listened.

"On top of all that, my mother died when I was young of sickness. She worked herself to death trying to provide for me... After that, the harassment only grew. The church even refused to hold a funeral for her." Lily continued, biting her lips as she stared at the floor.

"After she died, I was sent to my father. But even just that turned into another hell. Do you understand? How everyone looked at his illegitimate child in his own house!?" she finished, yelling furiously.

"Yes... I do..." Luka replied, his voice too low for her to hear.

"...I wanted revenge on them. That's why I studied magic in the prohibited books! I killed my father and brothers by squeezing them all to death using that power! After I got rid of them, I took over the Lord's seat. Hahaha! The prostitute's daughter they despised so much was now their Lord!" Lily laughed madly.

Luka still was silent.

"I would never forgive them. They despised me... They ridiculed me... They tossed stones at me. They were the reason my mother died... Can you even begin to understand the pain my mother and I went through?" Lily demanded in a desperate tone.

"Lily... Is that the end of your pathetic justifications!?" Luka roared, slashing forward with his sword.

"Gah!" Lily staggered under the assault.

"You knew first-hand the pain that persecution from others can bring!" Luka yelled, slashing her again.

"Such whitewashing! Those villagers deserved what they got! They caused my mother to die... They brought me such pain... Unless I force them all to suffer, I'll never be at peace! How could you ever understand the pain I experienced!?" Lily shouted in fury.

"I know it well... I know it way too well!" Luka yelled back.

I knew he was telling the truth.

It was the reason I didn't dare to intervene in this fight from the start.

This was not my battle.

"How could some Hero whom the people adore ever understand my pain!? The pain from the villagers... Even my own family!" Lily insisted.

"You were lucky! You were able to get revenge on those you had a grudge on! But I'm different! I wasn't even allowed to hold a grudge! Because... I had to become a fine Hero! That's... That's what my mother wished!" Luka countered loudly in a pained tone, before slashing forward again, Lily's power being devoured by his sword.

"...You can't understand! My feelings when I had no choice but to become a Hero!" he finished, slashing her a last time.

"No... My power... My magic power... Without this... I..." Lily stammered, as her tentacles vanished, her energy devoured by Luka's blade.

"Without this, you are still you." I finished for her, finally entering the room as I felt the hold Lily had on the turned villagers' mind dissipate.

"What?" Lily asked in confusion, taken aback by my sudden interjection.

"See, power is just that. Power. Possibility of action. It's not inherently connected to a being's nature. It can't dictate their behavior. It can't make decisions for them. Everything that you did, with or without power, was you exercising your own free will." I explained.

"But I suffered so much... This power was my everything..." Lily insisted.

"Then why are you trying to justify yourself?" I asked.

"What...? What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, let me put it this way. Let's say you managed to obtain the strongest power in the universe. Let's say you complete your revenge on every person that ever harmed you. What then?" I questioned.

"I..." Lily started, before falling silent, unable to give me an answer.

"No one other than yourself can judge how justified your motivations truly are. Results may vary, but that doesn't mean you are going to feel any less justified, as long as you know why you acted as you did. The problems start coming when you lose sight of your own reason for doing things. When you start acting without motive. When you give up on what you really want. What everyone wants. To be happy." I continued.

"That is what you did. You gave up on yourself. And that is why no matter how powerful you get, you still will never be satisfied." I concluded in a definite tone.

"...What do you know!? You're powerless! You could never understand what having power means!" Lily furiously rebuked.

I sighed in resignation.

I had expected her answer.

However, I could only stay silent.

I had no further argument I could make.

After all, on this one point, she was entirely correct...

"You're wrong. Daniel is not powerless. He is much stronger than you could ever be. And even if he wasn't, he still has me." Luka firmly declared, looking at me resolutely.

I turned to him for a moment, before closing my eyes again, a small, forced smile on my lips.

I was truly grateful for his support.

However, I also knew I didn't deserve it...

Lily's eyes widened, as she looked back and forth between Luka and me.

Then her head dropped low, and she gripped her fists tightly.

None of us spoke any further, as we moved out of the mansion together with the freed villagers.

Unfortunately, not all of them were still alive.

I never wanted to feel the moment another person's aura dissipated ever again.

~– ~ – ~

"Ahh! Mary! Thank Ilias you're alive!" a man said, embracing his daughter.

"Erika... I thought you were dead!" a woman said with tears in her eyes, as she staggered towards a young girl.

Everywhere throughout the village, families were reuiniting.

But, unfortunately, not all of them were complete...

"Sister! No! Lucy, where are you!? Please don't tell me... No..." a young woman desperately called out to her missing sister.

"Eri!? Where are you... Eri!?" another man yelled, looking for his lover.

Sorrowful voices just like theirs resounded through the air, as tears started falling like rain.

Luka silently overlooked the scene, his expression stoic.

"Hero... There is no way we could ever express our gratitude to you. Please, take anything you wish from our village that you desire..." a grateful young man said, representing the grieving community.

"No... That's alright. The only thing I want is for you to give Lily a fair trial and punishment." Luka requested, before turning his back to the villagers, and quickly starting to run off.

As I was about to follow him, another voice rang out.

"Hey! Wait up!" the soldier me and Luka had saved from the Iron Maiden yelled loudly, as he ran closer to us.

Luka stopped for a moment.

The soldier took a second to catch his breath, before he spoke up again.

"I know how you must be feeling. What happened here was horrible. But you both did an incredible job. Not just me, you even saved many other people. I was even able to help a bit as well." the soldier said, gesturing to one of the families that were embracing each other.

"That's why, please, don't just think of those that didn't make it. Think also of those that you managed to help. And of those I'm sure you will rescue in the future as well. " the soldier pleaded, looking us both in the eyes, before straightening up, and starting to salute us.

Luka was taken aback, stunned by his words, while I smiled lightly and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Good job, Hero." I praised in a sincere voice.

Luka turned to me, his eyes glistening with tears, as I ushered him towards the border of the village where Alice was.

The soldier still stood still saluting us until we disappeared from his sight, as we turned around a corner.

~– ~ – ~

"Are you really ok with this? Leaving Lily's punishment to the villagers." Alice questioned, walking up to us as we started to leave the settlement.

"I'm just a stranger to this village... They had to go through the horror for years. They deserve to finish the problem with their own hands." Luka proclaimed.

"...Since she's the main offender, they will surely kill her. The only way she can compensate is by death." Alice commented.

"Even with death, that won't be enough compensation. Just how many people has she killed..." Luka trailed off mournfully.

"...But still, you did well. The village was saved thanks to you. That's quite a feat for a Hero. In spite of being a fake one." Alice commended, adding a small jab in the end.

"Daniel is the one to be praised. He saved many more than I could have. He even tried to save Lily..." Luka disclaimed, shaking his head.

"Dude, I wouldn't even be in this village if you hadn't decided to come here in the first place. Seriously, I may have helped a bit, but you were definitely the star of that show. If you hadn't defeated Lily, I could have done nothing alone. You're the Hero here." I spoke in a definite tone.

Luka just looked at me for a second, before closing his eyes in thought.

Finally he sighed, before speaking up again.

"Hero, huh? That brings back old memories... My mother... Ilias village..." Luka said in a wistful tone.

"Painful memories?" Alice asked.

"...I wonder. There are some painful memories, but I like Ilias village now. Even that vilage was able to change after my mother's death. Now I'm friendly with all the villagers..." Luka explained.

"Oh... Is that so? Did they repent after seeing your mother die, and turn over a new leaf?" Alice guessed.

"Hahaha... Now who's being unrealistic, Alice? Shortly after she died, the epidemic spread to the rest of the village. All of the elders died, and the number of villagers drastically lowered. Without enough people, they were forced to rely on immigrants. Because of that, the vast majority of Ilias village is made up of immigrants. Suddenly I, a previous outsider, was one of the most senior villagers." Luka elaborated, his expression bitter.

I idly wondered if Ilias was behind that part too, though it was entirely possible the plague had simply ran out of control.

...Well, It didn't really change the result either way.

"...You're pretty dark. You act happy despite your twisted past." Alice commented.

"Even still... One wrong step, and I would have ended up like Lily." Luka grimly spoke.

"...No, you're different from her. Even among monsters and humans, there are only two types. Those who undergo suffering and spread it to others. And those who undergo suffering and avoid giving it to others. Lily is the former, you're the latter." Alice firmly declared.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." I heartily agreed.

"Is... That so?" Luka questioned.

"I can't speak for the dead... But I'm sure your mother must be proud, like Daniel said... That's what I think." Alice concluded.

"Alice..." Luka said tearfully.

"...That's why you shouldn't say you had no choice but to become a Hero. Don't you think you would have used your sword to protect the weak anyway?" Alice inquired.

"...That's true. I must have been so blinded by the title of a Hero, that I forgot the real reason I wanted to help people... Thank you, Alice, Daniel." Luka acknowledged, bowing gratefully.

Alice simply scoffed, hiding her embarassment, while I looked away, scratching my head.

Behind us, a village girl with brown hair and eyes, her dress' sleeve ripped up, approached us.

I recognised her as the Worm Villager Luka had defeated in the mansion.

"Thank you, Hero... thanks to you, we were able to return to normal." the girl said thankfully.

"Ah... You're..." Luka said, recognising her as well.

"Everyone you saved wants to thank you. But they're all too weak to move at the moment, so they entrusted it to me. Thank you, Heroes! We shall never forget your kindness!" the girl concluded, bowing her head.

"Not a Hero, but you're still welcome." I disclaimed, smiling wryly.

Again, Luka looked at me strangely for a moment, before turning back to the village girl.

"I'm glad I could help... You all will have a tough time going forward... Please don't lose heart." he pleaded.

"...We know the reason Lily acted the way she did. Her intense hatred of us is what caused her to curse our bodies like that. We won't continue the cycle of hate... We'll never allow another tragedy like that to happen again." The girl declared resolutely.

"I see... That's good. Now I must continue my journey..." Luka finished with a serene smile.

"Thank you again, Hero!" the girl said, raising her arm to wave goodbye, when suddenly her limb turned back into writhing tentacles.

...What did it say about me, that by that point I wasn't even phased by something so downright Lovecraftian?

"Ah... I'm sorry, how rude of me... I'm still not used to having my human arm back..." the girl said, as she turned her tentacles back to a human arm.

"Would it be in bad taste if I asked whether she had a octopus in her dress or she just was happy to see us?" I quipped, making Alice groan and look to the sky in exasperation.

I simply snickered at her reaction, soon joined by the village girl.

"...It isn't sealed? Are the others the same?" Luka asked in concern.

"Yes... These tentacles are already part of our bodies... I don't think they will ever completely go away..." the village girl timidly nodded.

"I see..." Luka trailed off.

"But since Lily's magic was sealed, our minds are back to normal. We're able to change it back into a human arm, so there shouldn't be a problem... We'll try our best to hide them until things calm down a bit." the village girl concluded.

"I see... It may be tough, but please try your best! Goodbye!" Luka said in a last farewell, as we started moving, waving back to the village girl as we left.

"Please come visit us again, Hero! We will always welcome you!" the young woman offered, as we walked away.

~– ~ – ~

A few minutes later, we were back on the road, Alice having changed back to her monster form.

"Humans are quite resilient, aren't they." she commented

"No matter how painful it is, they have no choice but to live with it. Doing the best with what you have... That's what it means to be a human." Luka declared.

"Hmph... I see..." Alice drawled thoughtfully, as we walked towards our next destination.

I agreed with Luka completely.

Only, what I had was only lies and memories.

And I wasn't even sure how much of me was still human, either...

Regardless, I could only keep moving.

Just one more step was left before the end of the first chapter.

I hoped it wouldn't be my last...


	30. Chapter 30: Debating self-interest

"Alright, let's go look for Gnome!" Luka declared after a short period of silence spent organizing his thoughts.

"Oh? Finally decided to find Gnome? Once you get Gnome's power, there's no reason to stay in this hot desert anymore." Alice commented.

"Well, it was about friggin' time!" I quipped in mock exasperation.

Seriously though, I hated deserts.

So damn dry...

I always had sand in my everything...

"Well, I suppose I've had enough of this region's delicacies. I'm excited for the next one's. Let us move quickly." Alice conceded.

"Alright, let's head to the Safaru ruins!" Luka agreed, as we started moving again.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked through the sands once more, I thought back on everything that had happened so far, considering my options for the future once again.

I still had no idea how or why I was in this world.

My theory about a plan behind my presence here was still unconfirmed, and I still couldn't find a better one.

I had managed to integrate myself in Alice and Luka's group in order to survive, but, while it was still my best option, the risks only increased the more we progressed through the plot.

I was getting stronger, but compared to the truly powerful beings of this world, I was still an ant, and I was keenly aware of that.

Alice's presence was a constant reminder...

So far, I had managed to hide what I knew, hopefully from everyone, but there was no way to tell how long that would last.

I dreaded the moment my comrades would find out about my lies...

I had tried to distance myself a bit from them, while still keeping under their protection, but I was already too involved and I knew it.

I couldn't bear to stay silent, hearing Luka talk about his mother like he had.

And I couldn't let Alice harm herself with that fake knife either.

Perhaps it was hypocritical of me to take the wound for her.

I still was punishing myself, in subtle ways, for my indiscretions and untruths.

But I didn't care.

I deserved it.

They didn't.

My thoughts also ran to the future I knew about, and the things I had already changed, willingly or not.

Some things were small, like the battle with the Slug Girl, when I had stopped Luka from wasting our salt.

Some were larger, but their outcomes mostly predictable, like the discussions I had with Sara and her father.

Others were just confusing, like the whole thing with Alma Elma.

I still had no idea what sort of consequences these last ones would have.

I only hoped they wouldn't be disastrous in the long run...

And then, there were the terrifying complete unknowns.

Like the fact Promestein had been able to sense me when Alice herself hadn't.

Or whatever Ilias' opinion of me was by that point.

I didn't even want to think about them, lest they somehow picked up on my distress...

In the end, I still had no other choice but to keep up the facade as long as possible.

~– ~ – ~

The journey to the Safaru Ruins was long, and we had to make a pit stop to replenish our supplies in Sabasa along the way.

We visited the castle, but Sara was busy training, and we thought better than to disturb her.

The King himself was apparently helping her train.

Good for her, I thought.

I idly wondered how their talk had went...

~– ~ – ~

We passed by the Mermaid Pub to have a fresh drink before our departure.

I quickly hid myself, as I noticed a presence I had already felt back at Port Natalia was inside.

Lazarus.

The terrorist who had bombed a Mermaid school.

I wouldn't allow myself to fail to stop him a second time.

"Welcome to the second Mermaid Pub!" the Mermaid behind the counter greeted Luka, as his gaze fell on the lone man sitting at a table.

He was dressed in filthy clothes, his long black hair full of grime, his left arm hanging limply at his side.

A small bag was placed under his chair, and I immediately guessed its contents.

I purposefully avoided entering anyone's line of sight, as I moved closer.

"You!" Luka exclaimed, his eyes widening, as rage filled him.

"Hm... What's wrong, boy? Do you have business with me?" Lazarus asked conversationally, sipping his alcohol.

"...No. I don't." Luka finally ground out, after a few moments of silence spent calming down.

"That's good... Sit here boy. It's depressing to drink alone, you know?" Lazarus said in a friendly tone.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion, before sitting at the other side of the table.

In the meantime, I had snuck behind Lazarus, staying low, and had grabbed the bag under his seat, putting it inside my own.

Thankfully it was small enough to fit.

Nobody ever noticed my actions, Lazarus and Luka included.

"Hey, waitress. Can we get an orange juice?" I heard Lazarus' voice say, as I silently left the building, before quickly sprinting towards the outside of the city, my form blurring through the crowded streets, moving as fast as I could.

~– ~ – ~

I moved a small distance outside the city itself, placing the man's bag on the ground before moving back a good distance and chucking a rock at it.

The explosion was immediate, but not terribly large.

Still, it would have caused some damage, had I left it alone.

I was glad I could prevent anyone getting hurt for once, as I hurried back.

~– ~ – ~

I crossed paths with Lazarus, as he left the bar.

The explosion hadn't been loud enough to reach here, apparently, because he looked completely unfazed.

I almost wanted to say something to him, but I knew it was not my place.

And I needed to preserve canon as much as possible anyway.

I knew I was already pushing it by removing the bomb...

"...Make sure you get out of this bar quickly after finishing that juice. A kid like you shouldn't be in this place..." the bitter man spoke gently, as he walked away into the crowd, ignoring Luka's following outburst.

I entered the building again right after.

"...Daniel? Where did you go?" Luka asked in confusion, not having noticed my disappearance in his rage.

"I took care of something that was left behind by a customer." I shrugged.

Luka didn't pry any further, and we left the establishment soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Don't you want some juice too? The Sabasa oranges have quite a rich taste to them..." Alice offered to Luka, as she sipped some fruit juice I knew Lazarus had bought for him.

...Seriously, how in the world did a city in the middle of a desert have so much variety in fresh food?

"...Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for it. Starting today, I hate orange juice." Luka declared.

Alice looked at him funny for a moment, before shrugging and sipping her juice again.

"That guy... Why would he go to the Mermaid Pub of all places...? Oh shit! He couldn't...!" Luka suddenly realized.

"Relax. I already dealt with it. I told you, I took care of something a customer left behind." I repeated.

Luka turned at me in shock, staring at me with wide eyes, his expression mirrored by Alice.

Finally, he put a hand on his chest, sighing in relief.

"Thank you, Daniel. I was too blind to notice in time. Without you, those people could have died." Luka said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. I got to slowly walk away from an explosion, so I'm satisfied." I quipped dismissingly.

"Why would you... Nevermind." Luka started, before apparently giving up in trying to understand my joke.

I had a small pang of homesickness at the thought nobody in this world would understand such references.

I missed the internet...

"How did you know he was going to plant an explosive there?" Alice inquired.

"He's a terrorist, this is his modus operandi, we already established that in Port Natalia. It wasn't that hard to figure out. Especially seeing as he had moved his bag BELOW his seat instead of at his side. It was pretty suspicious." I replied.

Alice seemingly accepted my excuse, while Luka looked thoughtful.

"Hey, Alice... Is what I'm doing just self-righteous?" he suddenly asked, keeping his head low.

"...Now where the hell is this coming from!?" I asked in an appalled tone.

"...Who knows. Good and evil is relative. No matter what you say, it just comes down to stupid wordplay." Alice neutrally replied.

"But... I don't even listen to humans and monsters who disagree with me. I just ignore them..." Luka dejectedly continued.

I swiftly hit his forehead with a karate chop.

"Ouch! What was that for!?" Luka yelped, holding his throbbing head.

"You were being stupid. I was trying to knock some sense into you. You even tried to reason with Lily at first, what the hell do you mean you don't listen to others!? I swear, it's like I'm traveling with an amnesiac saint..." I sighed in exasperaton.

Seriously, just how selfless could this kid get?

"Look, it's fine to doubt yourself a bit at times, nobody is perfect, but if you start second-guessing everything you do, you're never going to move forward. You said it yourself, this is the path you yourself would have chosen anyway. So do your best with what you have." I concluded.

He was silent for a moment, before he moved to hug me again.

However, I quickly turned him around and pushed him towards Alice instead, taking her by surprise.

They looked at each other in confusion for a moment, before Luka blushed heavily and started sputtering incoherently, still not letting go, while Alice glared at me in rage and embarassment.

I simply grinned my usual fox-like smile, reminding her that this was part of my revenge.

The fact it also served to remind me not to get too close to them was just an added bonus...

~– ~ – ~

We departed from the city soon after, moving through the desert again.

The harsh climate was hardly even bothering me anymore, but I still was looking forward to finally leaving the dreadful sands behind.

Finally, we reached our last objective in the Safina region.

"Is this the Safaru ruins...?" Luka pondered, as we reached a section of desert littered with small pieces of stonework.

Alice picked up a piece of rock and licked it.

"...Ok, at this point I'm seriously worried about your diet." I quipped in a concerned tone.

Alice just ignored me.

"Hmm... This is about a thousand years old. There's no doubt that the people here believed in animism." she said with certainty.

Both me and Luka stared wordlessly at her.

I could tell we both were thinking the same thing.

Just how the hell...?

It was probably better not to question it, for the sake of my own sanity.

Fuck knows I already had enough on my plate...

"At any rate, this must be the place. It has a similar atmosphere as the forest where Sylph was. So now... Where is she?" Luka questioned, after shaking his head.

"Gnome is cowardly, but she's also very curious. If someone is looking for her, she'll surely appear before them to find out why." Alice declared.

"Shall I just look aimlessly for now then?" Luka proposed.

"I'll just take a rest over there." Alice proclaimed, before slithering to a nearby pillar, resting under its shadow.

"Hey, me too! Don't hog all the shade!" I exclaimed, before waving at Luka and joining her.

Luka just started walking, knowing I wouldn't be helping him in this next trial.

"Haaa..." I sighed in content, resting on what remained of a small stone bench in the shade, close to Alice.

~– ~ – ~

"You've been a lot more active lately during dangerous situations. Are you going to be participating in more fights in the future?" Alice questioned after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

"Not if I can help it. I mean, Luka can take care of himself, and I really don't want to hamper his growth. I only really fought when I didn't have a choice." I disclaimed.

"Or to save others." Alice pointed out.

"Sorry, but you're wrong. I'm not that good a person. Pretty much everything I do, I do for myself." I declared.

"Do you truly think that? Then why did you not ask for something different in compensation?" Alice questioned, hinting at my revenge.

"You're not getting out of it, if that's what you're hoping." I deadpanned.

"Hmph. Who do you take me for? I will honor my debt. But do you realize what it means for the Monster Lord to owe someone? You could have asked for almost anything in the world. Wealth, power, women... Why did you give away such a boon the way you did? I refuse to believe that someone as selfish as you profess to be would do that for nothing." Alice pressed.

"You're assuming I didn't gain anything from that." I pointed out.

"What could you possibly have gained from such a request that you would value it over all else you could have obtained?" Alice inquired.

"Simple. Continued support. Both from you, and from Luka." I replied.

"What?" Alice asked, blinking in confusion.

"See, I could have asked for wealth, but I already got money from you AND Luka once. I could have asked for power, but I already am learning martial arts from you, and Luka would willingly lend me his strength for nothing if I asked him to. I could have asked for women, but you already offered yourself to me once. Anything that you have offered, I already could take, without you even thinking of rejecting the idea." I elaborated.

Alice's eyes widened in realization, as her jaw dropped.

"Y... You..." she stammered.

"See? Selfish." I shrugged.

"Just how did you even reach such a conclusion? What kind of insane reasoning could twist kindness back into self-interest!?" Alice incredulously questioned.

"The kind society is built around." I simply replied, before a massive presence passed below us, making the earth we were standing on tremble, and me stand stock still with a terrified expression.

"You felt that too, right?" I asked Alice in a terrified squeak, after the huge monster had passed us by.

"...A Sandworm... Well, it should be fine. They're not the smartest monsters. They may be big, but they're not particularly troublesome." Alice commented.

"Yeah, maybe for you, I don't much fancy the idea of facing a creature that's bigger than a damn castle. Maybe we should check on Luka. He's probably almost done by now anyway. We could always hide and observe him." I timidly proposed.

"Fine. I was thinking of looking for something to eat anyway." Alice agreed, as we started walking towards Luka.

~– ~ – ~

"Hmm... It looks like you got Gnome's power." Alice commented, feeling the changes in Luka's aura.

I had also noticed the Spirit's presence myself.

She felt similar to Sylph, only she was composed of a yellow energy instead of green.

"Oh, Alice, Daniel. It was tough, but I pulled it off!" Luka confirmed with a happy smile.

"Congrats man! Only two more Spirits to go!" I said in a happy tone.

And two more chapters to go for me, I mentally added.

"The power of the earth is a lot more difficult to use than the wind. If you do it half-assed, you may get crushed under your own power." Alice warned.

"...Yes, I know that already. I just saw an example of it. Two left... Undine and Salamander." Luka pondered resolutely.

"Sylph and Gnome have powerful magic, but no combat experience. But it won't be the same with Undine and Salamander. Undine is quite skilled, and Salamander is..." Alice stopped.

"Salamander is...?" Luka trailed off in a questioning tone.

"...Well, I'll let you find out. I don't want to terrify you, it might make you mess up." Alice finished.

I admit, I was slightly looking forward to seeing Luka's face when he found out just who Salamander had been a mentor for...

"Hey... That just makes me more worried!" Luka protested.

"Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal. By the way, do you feel any different after getting Gnome's power?" Alice inquired, changing the topic.

"No... But I can feel Gnome's breath. Nothing concrete or anything..." Luka trailed off, as the Spirits inside of him started talking to him.

I could tell when Gnome slapped Sylph around, making me chuckle.

"Well then, next is fire and water... Alright... Let's head to Noah. Shall we just start walking East from here?" Luka proposed.

"Whatever you say, I just want to be out of this desert ASAP." I quipped in annoyance.

"Noah is still fairly undeveloped, so they should have some unique regional foods. I can't wait. Hahahahahaha!" Alice laughed excitedly, as her tail swished around behind her.

...Was she also part dog or something?

"Alice, stop your creepy laugh or I'm leaving you behind!" Luka yelled out, as we started walking out of the desert.

Finally, chapter one was behind us.

Things seemed still pretty close to canon so far.

I only hoped my presence hadn't messed anything up too badly...


	31. Chapter 31: Consequences II

Part 1: Luka

As Luka and his companions left the Safina region, the young Hero apprentice pondered more on his loyal friend.

Luka had been stunned by Daniel's quick recovery after the events on the ship to the Sentora continent.

Even more, he was dumbstruck at his utter refusal to blame him for his weakness in any way, instead thanking him for something he had not done.

Luka was keenly aware that, if the monster hadn't retreated on her own, he could have done nothing to save his dear friend...

When Daniel hugged him for the first time, however, Luka had felt his frustration melt away, replaced by relief, knowing that his friend was, indeed, going to be okay.

His own resolve to become stronger, however, only grew.

~– ~ – ~

As they explored the beautiful port town together, Luka kept an eye on his comrade, still a bit worried about his condition.

He seemingly was a bit uncomfortable in the lively ambient, though he also seemed to enjoy it.

Luka idly wondered if his home village had been similar.

~– ~ – ~

When the explosion happened, his friend had been the fastest to react, pushing both Luka and the Mermaid he had been talking to into an alley.

As he was still disoriented, Daniel sprang into action without hesitation to help the civilians, pushing Luka himself to act.

He was awed at his friend's quick thinking and sound judgement.

And then Lazarus had appeared, the pieces of the puzzle clicking in Luka's head, as he felt his mind filling with fury.

He wanted to keep going right away, to get as far as possible from the horrible man...

But he acquiesced to his worried friends' wishes, allowing himself to take a break for the night.

~– ~ – ~

When Luka explained about his father's terrorist group to his friends, he once more noted something undecipherable in Daniel's expression.

But he was still too worked up to truly consider what it meant, and the following actions from Alice completely derailed his train of thought.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, his friend started his new training, making Luka feel reassured about his future safety.

He also approved of Daniel's choice of fighting style, as it was perfectly suited to their shared ideal of fighting nonlethally, while still ensuring his comrade's survival.

At least until the day after, as his friend threw himself in a battle against a Lamia of all possible opponents...

When the monster had hit his friend in the chest, Luka's mind was filled with fear for a moment, before turning to relief the second after, seeing him still alive and fighting.

Luka had recklessly charged his opponent, trying to end the fight quickly.

However, he had been too slow.

The Lamia managed to capture him, trying to use him as a hostage.

He struggled harder than ever before, unwilling to let his comrade be harmed once again.

Then Luka noticed his friend's eyes closing, and his heart dropped, thinking he was planning to sacrifice himself for him, as the monster charged him once again

When Daniel instead started dodging every single attack with his eyes still closed, Luka was stunned by the spectacle.

It was like his friend was dancing with death in front of his eyes, weaving around every blow with masterful grace.

Luka finally recovered his wits a moment after, managing to get himself free from the monster's coils, and repaying his comrade's trust with all of his power.

He had immediately started lambasting Daniel for his recklessness once again, until Alice's reaction to his friend's performance gave him pause.

Had his friend's hidden talents impressed the Monster Lord herself?

According to her, even Granberia had been unable to replicate what Daniel had done in his first fight, though Luka himself did not fully understand what it was.

Was his friend truly that amazing?

Luka would have been happy if that was the case.

~– ~ – ~

As Luka and his friend stood in front of the beautiful artwork in San Ilia, Daniel had seemed to appreciate the superficial beauty more than the important religious meaning they held, something that Luka felt slightly conflicted about, but at least he didn't openly show distaste like Alice had.

The audience with the King went sideways in all kinds of ways, and Daniel had helped them leave the room unnoticed afterwards.

Then his friend suddenly paled in fright and hid in a closet, his terrified expression taking the young Hero completely by surprise.

When Granberia appeared right after, asking for Daniel, Luka had immediately understood the reason for his comrade's terror.

Luka would not allow the monster to hurt him.

He would protect his friend this time, no matter what.

He used technique after technique, desperately trying to put his everything behind each strike.

Again, he was swatted like a fly, his back hitting the wall, his mouth tasting iron.

But he would never give up.

He forced his body to stand again, his muscles screaming, his thoughts hazy.

When the Dragon-kin explained why she needed his friend's help Luka's brain stopped working for a second, failing to wrap itself around her words.

He listened in stunned silence, as his friend entered the conversation himself, seemingly shocked as he was.

When Luka understood just what the implications behind Granberia's request were, he immediately put his foot down.

He wouldn't let Daniel suffer from such pain again.

However, his friend had made a different choice.

Luka was livid at his comrade's foolhardiness.

Had he forgotten just what the monster had done to him!?

But then, when Daniel had turned to face him, eyes filled with unshakeable resolve, his fear buried under the weight of determination, Luka felt like a cold bucket of water had been splashed on him.

Daniel knew exactly what it meant for him to go with Granberia.

And he would willingly put himself in a danger like that for no other purpose than to save a life.

A life belonging to the monster that had harmed him, no less.

Luka was put to shame by his friend's selflessness.

He was unable to utter one more word, as he watched him disappear through the Dragon-kin's portal.

~– ~ – ~

Even as he faced the monsters hidden in the library, Luka prayed desperately for his comrade's safety, his every strike against them filled by the weight of his own resolve to grow stronger.

He would make his friend proud to compensate for the shame he had felt.

~– ~ – ~

Contrary to Alice's expectations, Daniel had reappeared but a few minutes later, casually greeting them in his usual playful manner.

Luka had immediately inquired about the Succubus' attempts to harm his friend, worried about the trauma he knew his friend was hiding.

But according to Daniel, she hadn't even tried anything, even though he had hit her.

He even went so far as to call her 'not that bad'.

Just how forgiving could he be?

Luka felt proud of having a friend like him, despite his worries about Daniel's safety.

Then, the argument had abruptly changed again, and Luka felt a little less proud.

...Was his friend a voyeur?

Alice had stunned Luka with her following offer.

Luka didn't know what his feelings were about it, but he knew he didn't want his friend to accept.

Daniel proved his loyalty once again, rejecting it as soon as she had finished speaking, without hesitation.

Luka didn't fully understand why he felt grateful.

But he was.

Then the topic went back to an embarrassing one, and that was that.

~– ~ – ~

Luka's friend had supported him on his decision to go back to Port Natalia to help a stranger, giving him the courage to talk back to Alice.

He was a little impressed by his friend's logical reasoning about ghosts, despite Alice's quick dismissal.

~– ~ – ~

Luka was slightly annoyed at his friend asking for a reward from the Mermaid to help with her request, but after all, he was not a Hero.

And Meia herself had seemed fine with it, so Luka had let the matter drop.

~– ~ – ~

Daniel's freedom of movement underwater had been impressive enough to surprise Alice once again, making Luka a tad envious.

He was only happy, however, seeing his friend's smile as he joyfully played in the ocean.

His comrade had shown his loyalty once again a bit later, managing to help Luka win a difficult fight, swimming even faster than a literal sea monster, even as he carried his paralyzed form.

They had won that fight together, and Luka was truly grateful for his help.

Then his friend had took his place in being dragged to the seafloor by another dangerous monster.

Luka had swam at his fastest speed towards the depths, desperate to get to him in time.

He barely saw from a distance his comrade's well-planned struggles, impressed by his quick strategy.

When Daniel was about to be entranced by the monster's power Luka had been worried, but his friend's strong will wasn't even fazed by the monster's temptation.

Finally, he managed to reach him, sealing the monster before he could harm his comrade.

Pride filled Luka, as, this time, he had truly succeeded in protecting his friend.

At least before he remembered why Daniel had been caught in the first place.

Luka resolved to be more careful in the future, lest the same thing happen again.

~– ~ – ~

As Alice provided some useless hints, Daniel had instead given him an actual strategy against the deep-sea monster he was facing.

Again, his friend's knowledge had impressed even the Monster Lord.

~– ~ – ~

Luka didn't fully understand what had happened, but he was glad his comrade had somehow managed to defuse the Queen of the Southern seas' anger.

Daniel had looked uncomfortable at the Kraken's strange question, after his thoughtful proposal about the Marriage Trial, but Luka had forgotten to ask about it, as he was shot to the surface like a cannonball by the monster a few moments later.

~– ~ – ~

As they left Meia's house, Luka had been distracted by the beautiful Mermaid's last look, understanding what she had meant by reward.

After another embarassing moment, his friend's confidence as he declared their dream would come true filled Luka with hope.

That night, Alice had been a little more forceful than usual, after waiting for the promised minute, as his friend ran away from the awkwardness.

He truly was thoughtful, despite the one slip-up he had admitted to.

~– ~ – ~

Daniel had looked thoughtful on the way to the haunted mansion.

Was he acually a bit nervous too, despite his previous logical arguments?

~– ~ – ~

His comrade had weak points too, Luka observed, as he pat his comrade's back while he emptied his stomach on the floor, after Alice had punched the head off a zombie.

Had Daniel never seen a corpse before?

Luka remembered the hellish scene of his village after the plague, having had the same reaction himself.

His friend had recovered quickly though, his advice and help making the following fights easier again.

Again, his comrade had showed off his impressive skils in stealth, sneaking up on the dangerous Necromancer, and distracting her long enough for Luka to finish the fight with her creation using his newest technique.

Daniel repeated the feat after they all fell through the floor, this time breaking the monster's concentration, ending the fight himself.

~– ~ – ~

The strange woman they had met outside the house had made his friend more nervous than ever before, as she had managed to do what the Monster Lord herself hadn't: finding him when he was hiding.

Luka agreed on his friend's evaluation of the strange woman's dangerousness.

Even after the encounter, the young Hero could tell Daniel was shaken, despite his attempts to hide it.

~– ~ – ~

His friend had listened with interest to the story he told the night after, as if he had never heard it before.

But that was impossible, right?

Everyone knew about Ilias.

Even if he had denied worshipping her, this was just common knowledge...

Though, seeing as Alice's version was different, perhaps that was the one he had heard.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Luka was slightly disappointed that his friend wouldn't help him in his trial at first, but his reasoning was sound.

And he HAD been relying on his friend a bit too much lately, despite knowing his friend did not enjoy fighting.

So Luka faced the forest's trials alone, and managed to come out on top.

He was proud at the accomplishment, having taken an important step to achieve their shared dream.

~– ~ – ~

It was weird to feel his friend's lack of magic for the first time.

It was like Daniel lacked something basic to everyone else in the world, as if he was robbed of the power that was supposed to be his before he was even born.

Luka knew his comrade had many good traits, but he couldn't help but pity him for this misfortune, lamenting at the unreasonableness of the world.

He regretted ever feeling pity for his great friend, when he saved him from his own foolish distraction during the fight with the weird plant monster.

He had noticed too late how dangerous the attack had been, knowing instinctively that, had he been hit, that would have been the end for him.

Soon after that, Luka had used Sylph's winds to finish the fight.

His friend had immediately reassured him when he realized he might have been fighting a human, and when Luka had thanked him for his assistance, he swiftly dismissed his gratitude, saying that he still owed him.

Luka didn't agree, but he acquiesced regardless.

~– ~ – ~

Daniel had laughed pretty much the entire time at the Fairies and ghosts' antics in San Ilia, his prankster nature fully in view.

He had been very diligent in his preparations for the desert's harsh enviroment, however.

His friend was obviously not enjoying the hot climate, but he still took the time to reassure him about mastering his new power, offering some advice on it as well, though since it was contrary to Luka's fighting style, he was a bit troubled by it...

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Daniel had collapsed.

Luka panicked, not knowing what to do.

They had no idea where to go, and their supplies were almost completely gone, despite his friend's careful preparations.

Luka was relieved when Alice agreed to help, though he was ashamed of his own uselessness.

His friend had shown his willpower again a moment later, utterly refusing to burden him despite his sorry state.

Luka had been unable to argue, looking at his eyes filled with determination.

~– ~ – ~

After they had reached Sabasa, his friend once again managed to erase Luka's shame with his gratitude.

Truly, his loyalty was incredible, Luka thought, once again proud of having a friend like him.

~– ~ – ~

Listening to Daniel talking to the King like they were old friends had terrified Luka for a moment, but the King actually seemed to enjoy it, and Luka was impressed once more at his friend's social skills.

Luka listened to his comrade's self-debasement, silently agreeing with the King about his friend's true worth.

The king's offer for Luka to marry his daughter as a reward had left him dumbfounded, but not more than Daniel's response.

He had actually dared to question the King in his own throne room!

Luka was paralyzed with fear at the King's possible reaction, dreading the thought of having to protect his friend from him.

Thankfully, Alice had managed to distract the King enough for him to seemingly forget the offense.

Still, Luka planned to reproach his friend later for his continued recklessness.

Before that, however, there were other priorities.

He idly noted that Alice had been impressed again by Daniel's swift recovery.

Luka was happy his friend was getting stronger together with him.

~– ~ – ~

As Luka was about to broach the subject of the events in the throne room with his friend, Alice had interjected.

The pain and rage from the old wounds made Luka forget about his previous intentions, before completely losing his train of thought once again at Alice's usual shamelessness.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, they met Sara, and Daniel and her had hit it off almost immediately.

Had his friend found someone for himself?

Luka would have been happy for him if that was the case.

He did need to let loose a little, Luka felt.

~– ~ – ~

They fought together against the monsters of the Pyramid, as his comrade showed his keen mind and quick reflexes once again.

Sara's story had been surprising, and it made Luka worry about her chances, but he had stayed silent, while his friend had instead decided to confront her about it.

His sound arguments, exposed with a serene certainty only served to help strengthen Sara's determination, just like Daniel wanted.

Truly, he was amazing with people, Luka thought with a smile.

~– ~ – ~

The Sphinx's second riddle had been mysterious, but Daniel had answered without missing a beat.

At first Luka was worried, but his intelligent comrade's reasoning was perfect as always, and the monster confirmed, that indeed, his answer had been correct.

When Daniel had pushed Sara to answer the last question, Luka had stayed silent, trusting his friend's judgement.

He was not disappointed.

Then Luka's world crumbled, as his friend talked about his lifespan.

It just wasn't possible.

He couldn't have been...

And he wasn't.

Relief flooded Luka's being, as Daniel quickly understood and assuaged his worries, showing his loyalty once again.

Luka was truly glad, knowing he wasn't about to lose his precious friend to something he could not fight.

Then he yelled out in frustration at his friend's prankster nature.

That, he was not too appreciative of...

He did still trust his advice about the Orb, however.

~– ~ – ~

The King's lack of attempt to marry off his daughter, had surprised both Luka and Sara, while Daniel had simply looked satisfied.

As the King spoke in private with Daniel, Luka was curious about the topic, but he decided to inquire the day after, as his friend was called to Sara's room.

Luka had an idea of what was going to happen, and he was happy his friend was going to have a good time.

He really needed to relax and enjoy himself a bit, and Sara being a human, it was not against Ilias' commandment either.

The day after, however, Luka was confused at his friend's strange comments about the night before.

He had decided to change the argument, seeing his friend's twitching expression.

Daniel's cryptic answer to Luka's inquiry about the discussion with the King, however, had just left him even more confused.

They had departed towards the Witch Hunt village soon after that, his friend's stoic expression telling Luka that he too was worried for the people there.

~– ~ – ~

The following night, Luka dreamed of his mother, the old memories summoned by the similarity with their destination's plight, the hurt behind them as powerful as always.

Then his pain was utterly annihilated with only a few words from his loyal friend, before Luka hugged his comrade himself for the first time, not trusting his voice not to crack, as tears of gratefulness fell from his eyes.

Then Daniel had dragged Alice in the hug too, unwilling to let her feel left out despite her protests.

He truly was most thoughtful.

Luka was then stunned by his friend's 'revenge'.

He was keenly aware of what it meant for him to give away such a precious thing as a debt from the Monster Lord for him.

He would not waste his sacrifice, he decided, as he dared to hug the Monster Lord, Alice herself proving her honor in allowing it without resistance.

It was still incredibly embarassing.

But his friend's joyful laughter had been worth it.

~– ~ – ~

When they reached the dull and lifeless village, his friend had agreed with his decision, using Alice's own words against her when she had instead argued over it.

His comrade seemed to share Luka's anger at the Lord's inhumane actions.

Luka himself had felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of Daniel's mad expression, as he made the two grown men in soldier armor piss their pants and run with their tail between their legs.

That shiver was replaced by a heated fury, as Luka noticed the hidden mechanism inside the knife the soldiers had left behind.

So much so, that he had forgot to check on his friend's injury, ignoring the blood he had had seen drip off the blade.

When Daniel had used his wounded hand to stop him, it was like a bucket of cold water had been splashed on Luka once more.

He truly did not know what he had done to deserve such a good friend.

He even had predicted Luka would try to rush in head-first, and purposefully delayed treating his wound in order to free Luka's mind from the red fog of rage, knowing that such recklessness could put them both in danger.

Luka was glad he could always count on his loyal comrade to keep a clear head.

~– ~ – ~

Inside the mansion itself, Daniel's quick judgement had been impeccable, even managing to free a captured Hero and many others from the transformed villagers.

His friend had trusted him to take care of Lily herself, however, and he would not let him down.

The battle was hard, in more than one way, but in the end, Luka had come out on top.

And then he was awed again at his friend's willingness to try and save even the terrible criminal's soul.

Truly, he was suited to be a Hero himself, despite his reluctance.

Or was it because of it?

Regardless, Luka could only feel pride at having a friend like him.

And he would do all he could not to let him down.

As they left the village, Luka felt emboldened by his friends' presence, as they moved towards the next spirit.

~– ~ – ~

On the way to Safaru Daniel had looked thoughtful again, Luka deciding to leave him some space to recover from the intense emotions they both had experienced.

Then Luka had felt his heart starting to furiously pump adrenaline in his system when he saw Lazarus sitting leisurely at a table in Sabasa's Mermaid Pub, sipping on the same alcohol his father had liked.

However, he took his friend's advice to heart, keeping his rage in check, even as his mind grew hotter with fury.

He didn't even notice his comrade's disappearance, until he saw him reentering the bar as Lazarus left, their discussion concluded.

Once again, his friend had showed his quick thinking, quietly dealing with the dangerous explosive without anyone being harmed.

Luka was truly ashamed at having been so blind.

His friend had managed to keep a clear head once again, while he had tried and failed because of Lazarus' words.

Was he truly just a kid that threw tantrums in his rage against the world?

Luka had expressed his doubts to Alice, who had heard the entire conversation, expecting her to agree with him, before explaining her own logic so he could refute it.

Daniel, however, was faster.

For the first time, Luka's friend had hit him.

Luka was dumbfounded, as he listened to Daniel destroy his argument mercilessly, to then call him a saint of all things, swiftly erasing his remaining doubts like letters written on sand, using his own words against him.

He instinctively moved to hug him once again, only to find he was embracing Alice instead.

Despite his (secretly happy) embarrassment, however, Luka also felt a tinge of curious disappointment.

As he faced the monsters in the Safaru ruins, looking for Gnome, Luka's thoughts went back to that moment, as he felt something was off about it.

Sure, Daniel was a prankster, but there had been something different about that fox-like smile of his that time, something Luka couldn't understand.

But he instinctively knew it wasn't anything good.

As he rejoined his comrades, Luka had made his decision.

He would help his friend, no matter what.

Even if he refused to open up to him, he would find out what ailed him, and save him from it.

And he would do it just like Daniel himself would have.

* * *

Part 2: Alice

Even as Alice wagged her tail happily, speaking of the delicacies of the Noah region they were about to visit, her thoughts were stuck on the absolutely terrifying human she traveled with.

He had refused to make sense from the start, defying her understanding at every turn.

When he had left his cabin, the morning after Alma Elma, she had expected him to ignore her still.

She had resolved to wait until he would accept her apology, no matter how long it took.

She deserved his contempt, after what she had done to him.

Instead, he had showed up like usual, startling her with his unnatural stealth and laughing at her reaction.

He then proceeded to quip about the things that must not be named, her confusion preventing her from keeping her facade, as she looked around in fright.

She had to stop him.

He couldn't just forgive her like that, she still needed to be punished.

She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she wasn't.

The human had instantly assuaged that worry, replacing it with a chilling terror that called back to Alice's childhood traumas, his familiar playfully malicious smile sending shivers down her spine.

As the two humans hugged, Alice felt uncomfortable at the display of affection, before the inexplicable one dragged her into it, shocking her enough that she didn't resist.

As he turned his back to them, Alice noted his expression changing to a resolved one, despite his nearly imperceptible trembling.

Again, she was humbled by his selflessness, as she understood the implications.

~– ~ – ~

As they walked around town, the trembling disappeared, but the human's resolve remained, though he was now getting distracted by the lively atmosphere.

When the explosion resounded, interrupting their conversation, Alice had instead been distracted by him, only realizing the reason for his sudden dive a moment later.

Then the human started using his newfound strength to help the soldiers, as she watched Luka follow him.

She noted something being off in his expression, as he was thanked by the soldier, but could not make sense of it, and Luka's outburst and sudden distress made her forget about it for a time.

~– ~ – ~

As the fake Hero explained about the fanatic terrorist group, the puzzling human had first expressed agreement with her pessimistic view of humanity, before following with a sympathetic comment.

Again, Alice could not conciliate the two things in a way that made sense.

She decided to think about it later, as she was hungry by that point.

The human ran away as soon as she had the thought, having likely understood her intentions.

Now that she thought about it, his senses had an interesting implication...

She would also consider that later.

She didn't mind showing her proud body anyway...

~– ~ – ~

After draining the fake Hero dry, Tamamo had showed up.

Alice had recounted to her the human's story as he had told it, the old monster looking thoughtful all the while.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Daniel hadn't interfered with the fake Hero's fights.

Alice couldn't begin to guess at his true motives, but she resolved to start training him seriously regardless.

He had more than proven he would not use his strength to harm monsters, and even if she was wrong about his nature, she still felt guilty about her horrendous mistake.

His request to learn martial arts instead of sword techniques had been unexpected, but, then again, had he ever failed to surprise her?

Her mind unconsciously ran to a particular set of techniques, one that was uniquely suited to the human's talents.

However, it was not a style to teach lightly.

The users of these martial arts had been assassins, sure, but not monsters.

The Shadow Dancers had been a plague on monsterkind in the distant past, fervent believers of Ilias, who acted as some of her most fanatic followers.

Their techniques had been used to kill thousands of monsters.

After a moment of hesitation, however, Alice decided that she would start by teaching him only the most harmless skills from their arsenal, and judge whether she would teach him the more lethal ones later.

~– ~ – ~

Alice hadn't expected him to try and make use of the first technique in combat right after learning it.

Just what was he thinking!?

Not only was his footwork still incomplete, but this was his first real fight, and his opponent was neither weak nor merciful!

She stared at him dumbfounded, as he stealthily approached the Lamia from behind.

For a single, dreadful moment, she thought he was going for the kill.

But instead he simply threw a normal punch, with terrible form, and she could even tell he had held back his strength and purposefully didn't strike a vital point.

She smirked at her own foolishness for a moment, before narrowing her eyes at the sight of the monster landing a blow to Daniel's chest.

The force behind the hit would have been enough to knock out any normal man, perhaps even break some bones, but he had seemingly shrugged it off without much trouble, and even managed to overpower the monster's hold and make some distance with a more powerful strike than before.

When she saw him close his eyes, Alice had felt a chill down her spine.

No way...

That was impossible...

And yet, there it was, right in front of her eyes.

Alice stared in shock, as the terrifying human executed what looked to be perfect Shadow-Weaving Steps, dodging every single swing his opponent threw at him, his shut eyelids a clear sign he had unlocked his Serene mind on his first real fight.

When she questioned him about it, he was seemingly unaware of the technique itself, asserting that his movements were simply a result of his aura sense growing even sharper, with his other senses shut down.

The riduculousness of the claim was enough for her to believe it, if barely.

She had dismissed the argument, as she tried to regain her composure.

Again, the impossible human had managed to elude her understanding.

~– ~ – ~

While inside the castle, Alice suddenly noticed Daniel had disappeared.

She instantly grew alert, expecting him to jump out of nowhere like usual, but instead, they found him sitting quietly at a table with a pensive expression.

Alice had no idea what he had been thinking so hard about.

~– ~ – ~

When Granberia had appeared again, Daniel had been obviously terrified.

But not just of the swordswoman herself, Alice realized.

She could tell he truly was scared of the Dragon-kin, however, there was also something else...

She then remembered the sobbing promise the human had made to the Succubus, understanding dawning in her mind.

Then it was Granberia's turn to surprise her, when she requested to see him.

Was she ever this vengeful?

No, this was unlike her.

Wait, she didn't want to harm him?

But then why...?

And then, after beating the fake Hero down, Granberia blew everyone's mind, Alice's included when she revealed she needed the human's help of all things.

Just how had he managed this!?

Alma Elma depressed!?

Granberia asking a human for help!?

Nothing made sense when this human was involved!

It was like he actively defied every part of common sense with his very existence!

Calming herself down, Alice had pointed out the danger Granberia's request involved.

She didn't know what was happening, but Alma Elma was strong.

She wouldn't let anything keep her down, her personality was as carefree as it got.

This was out of character for her, but she was always unpredictable, (though not as much as the unexplicable human himself) so she wasn't truly worried.

This was probably going to be just one of her usual tantrums, albeit a little less lighthearted than usual.

The human didn't need to put himself on the line for something so trivial.

And then the incomprehensible human had seemingly read her mind, and decided to completely contradict her thoughts once again, requesting Granberia to take him to the Succubus of his own free will.

Just how selfless could he be!?

This was beyond showing the other cheek, this was outright putting his life in the hands of someone that had only harmed him for THEIR sake!

Alice had hid her astonishment as best she could after the initial outburst that escaped her, and she could barely respond to her servant's request of dismissal, after seeing the human's steel-like expression when he had turned to the fake Hero.

She had tried to distract herself by baking some sweet potatoes, as the fake Hero fought her servants protecting the book that contained the information on the four Spirits, but she just couldn't stop thinking about the craziness the human seemed to spread everywhere he went...

~– ~ – ~

Just when she wondered if she would ever see the human again after Alma Elma had her way with him, he had reappeared in his usual exasperatingly terrifying manner.

...Why was she even surprised at this point?

Alice inwardly sighed, before inquiring about the outcome of his efforts.

She almost popped a blood vessel when she heard he had damaged her mother's castle.

Just what the hell had happened there!?

She calmed down soon after, still having to hear the results.

Seeing as he was there now, he had probably failed, she thought...

Of course, he hadn't.

Why would she ever think she could guess what this absurd human was capable of?

...Wait, he had hit her?

And Alma Elma had let him go?

While snacking on someone else?

Nevermind, Alice gave up trying to understand his explanations.

She would have someone else, preferrably someone who actually made sense, tell her what exactly had actually happened later, she decided.

Her choice made, she opened a different argument, one that she had been considering for a while, reminded of it by the human's look of embarrassment.

Daniel had confirmed her suspicions, his discomfort evident.

So he wasn't truly immune to his instincts as a man huh...?

Alice idly wondered how he would taste, given his lack of scent...

He had immediately shut down her offer, but didn't look to be offended or hurt by it.

She shrugged, not really bothered by his refusal.

Who knew, unpredictable as he was, he could have changed his mind later.

She really didn't care that much either way.

~– ~ – ~

His arguments on ghosts were utterly valueless.

Ghosts didn't exist, period.

~– ~ – ~

When he had asked for the Ball of Guidance as a reward for their work, Alice was intrigued.

Did he know something?

What would he need a Ball of Guidance for?

~– ~ – ~

Alice idly noted how Daniel's body had become quite pleasing to the eye, as he undressed in preparation to enter the sea.

Then her eyes widened, as she looked at him moving underwater faster than he was on land.

Seriously, what was up with that!?

Well, now she could understand why he wanted a Ball of Guidance.

Apparently he didn't have an ulterior motive after all...

Well, probably.

There really was no way for her to say anything for sure about him...

~– ~ – ~

Alice had watched the human outswim a sea monster, before being caught by a stationary Sea Anemone Girl.

...Really, what was he doing?

~– ~ – ~

When they reached the temple, Daniel had revealed his knowledge of monsters living only in the deepest waters, reinforcing Alice's theory about his mother being a sea monster after all.

After finally meeting the Queen of the Southern Sea, Alice expected a fight to start, given the Kraken's usual airheaded behavior, and the humans' questionable motive.

But her expectations were once again averted by the confusing human.

Alice had thought back on his behavior later, wondering if something was off about it.

Had he read his opponent in so little time and purposefully avoided conflict?

As always, she could not tell...

~– ~ – ~

Alice was slightly grateful for the human's effort in saving her night's meal.

She did not like that Mermaid much...

~– ~ – ~

Haunted house?

What haunted house?

Ghosts don't exist!

~– ~ – ~

At least the human's religious beliefs seemed to make sense, Alice thought, as he had acknowledged the First's greatness after all, though he hadn't looked especially awed by it...

When she had introduced a new, nonoffensive technique to the human instead of some of the deadly techniques from the Shadow Dancers she knew of, Daniel had seemed appreciative instead of disappointed.

He had immediately took to the grueling training, fully concentrated on learning it as soon as he could.

Alice simply decided to keep observing him still.

~– ~ – ~

The discussion they had the day after, as the fake Hero was looking for the first spirit in the forest, had been most enlightening.

The human seemingly did not have a high opinion of himself, despite his recent increase in strength.

Truly, he was different from the fake Hero, who was always fishing for praise about every marginal improvement he made.

In fact, they seemed to be at odds under many aspects.

Luka always talked about his ideal, and how he wanted to be a Hero, while Daniel never mentioned anything about his goal after the first time.

Luka professed his willingness to push himself as hard as was needed to achieve his dream, while Daniel seemed more interested in gathering support, instead of shouldering everything on his own.

Yet, there were many similarities as well, like how they both were reckless at times, despite Daniel's professed intent to stay out of unneeded fights.

When he talked more about his life, Alice could tell SOMETHING was off, but she was sure he had been sincere, at least about most things.

What the oddest points of his story were, she couldn't begin to guess.

And then he had refused to talk about his reasons for leaving home, his tone containing a hint of something Alice recognized.

Grief born from loss.

She had failed to hide her surprise for a moment, unsure if the human had noticed her realization.

Just what had happened to him...?

~– ~ – ~

When even a Spirit failed to notice the slightest trace of magic within his body, Alice was dumbstruck.

She had considered the absurd possibility before, but he was truly completely devoid of any sort of power?

How was he even alive!?

Every single life in existance both produced and consumed magic, it was one of the basic principles of the world!

Just WHAT was he that even the very laws of nature seemed not to apply to him?

The appearance of the strange monster distracted her temporarily from the question, but she still would think about it later.

~– ~ – ~

San Ilia?

No, they never went there after that.

Why would you ask about that?

~– ~ – ~

The human seemingly did not enjoy the heat either, which made sense considering his love for water.

Alice had enjoyed her small victory in their argument, after the fake Hero barely resisted the Genie's temptation.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Daniel's body gave out.

Alice had noted the symptoms, and knew he had been trying to force himself in order not to slow them down, but she hadn't said anything, as they were supposed to reach Sabasa soon anyways.

The miscalculation in their travel time, however, had caught her off guard.

She decided to lend her help, as she still owed him a debt.

She hadn't expected the human to actually walk by himself, but he somehow managed to reach Sabasa on his own feet.

Alice had almost suspected foul play, but she could tell Daniel had not been faking his condition.

~– ~ – ~

His nonchalant attitude in front of the King of Sabasa had been most intriguing.

Did Daniel already know what kind of man the King was?

Or had he guessed it at first glance?

Regardless, he had indeed chosen the right attitude in front of the old warrior, taking a straightforward approach instead of hiding behind formality.

At least until he had seemingly broken character in order to stop the King's scheme in its tracks.

He had immediately put his foot down at the man's promised reward, his calm reasoning obviously meant to have the King make the correct decision on his own.

However, he had also put himself in an uncomfortable position.

Alice decided to intervene, in order to both unblock the situation and give both herself and King the time needed to think.

Why had he intervened like that?

Was it because of his particular views on love, as he put it?

Or was it about Luka and her?

Alice could not tell.

But, nevertheless, she was slightly grateful.

~– ~ – ~

Alice was surprised to note how Daniel's condition had improved that much in such a short time.

His body seemingly hid many secrets still.

Alice idly wondered just who his mother was...

She had a few theories, but no definite answer.

She then got distracted by the fake Hero's attitude when he heard from the local priest about the Witch Hunt village, and decided to inquire about it that night.

~– ~ – ~

As Luka exposed his father's story to them, Daniel had stayed silent, his expression stoic.

Alice could not tell what he was thinking at all.

Then she had given him the agreed minute before she started wringing out everything from the fake Hero again.

~– ~ – ~

Alice had been puzzled by the human's attitude, as they met the missing princess outside the pyramid.

She had noticed the monster blood within her immediately, and was sure Daniel had done the same, given his keen senses.

However, she couldn't comprehend the reason behind his silence about it.

She finally understood it when she heard about Luka's frustration at the prank he had been victim of.

She should have known...

~– ~ – ~

The detail about the maybe-not-so-human's lifespan had given Alice pause.

Now that she thought about it, his beard hadn't changed much lately...

She thought he may have been trimming it, but was it like he had said?

Had he inherited a monster's lifespan?

That was interesting.

Just how many secrets did he hold...?

~– ~ – ~

The King had seemingly come to the conclusion Daniel had wanted him to.

Alice was intrigued at this achievement.

Had he predicted this would happen?

He did look amused by the princess and the fake Hero's acting practice on the way...

Though that could simply have been another consequence of his prankster nature as well.

~– ~ – ~

That evening, at dinner, Alice had decided to test the human yet again.

What would he do if he was offered the same thing she had by a human?

If his reaction was different, that would be telling.

So, Alice had stolen his admittedly delicious fish in order to take away his excuse (though she also had enjoyed it immensely regardless, despite the small pang of guilt).

~– ~ – ~

The answer he had given to her inquiry the day after was about as nonsensical as it could get, but at least Alice understood that he had indeed refused the princess as well.

...Wait, what was that about Granberia?

~– ~ – ~

The atmosphere had immediately changed when their group started walking towards the Witch Hunt village.

She could tell both of the humans were truly disturbed by what they had heard.

She hoped no scars would be left on their hearts after the inevitable battle was over.

~– ~ – ~

The following night, Alice dreamed of her greatest regret.

The fake Hero had dreamed too, it seemed.

Was it fate?

Was everything meant to be, after all?

If so, she would accept her own destiny, she thought, before the incomprehensible human broke both of them out of their reverie.

He had spoken in a definite tone to the fake Hero, completely denying his argument without leaving any chance for rebuttal.

Then he had hugged her again, called her a sister of all things, and did the same to her, despite her not even having voiced her doubt, looking her directly in the eyes, his expression completely certain.

She hadn't been able to hold back her tears, even as she hid herself behind a scoff...

Then the human had ruined the moment, and made an absurd request as repayment for the debt she owed him.

He was just SO frustrating!

Her train of thought completely derailed, as the fake Hero immediately took advantage of his new right.

She would never admit how nice that felt, even as the maddening human laughed uproariously...

~– ~ – ~

Daniel had thrown her own words back to her, when she had spoken against the fake Hero's plan.

She had to admit, he really was good at arguing.

When she was then about to use the soldier's own trick against them, Daniel had instead interposed himself, and even she had felt a small shiver down her spine at his convincing act, before sighing in exasperation as he started to laugh as usual.

Alice had then watched the human use his own wound to drag the fake Hero back from his berserk fury.

Just how far could he predict their behavior?

~– ~ – ~

Alice had quietly observed the two humans' struggles inside the Lord's mansion.

The fake Hero was tied down by his enemies, while the impossibly stealthy human weaved through them unnoticed, his keen senses guiding him towards those that needed him most, offering him what she recognised as a near-perfect triage without even trying.

He even had found the subtle connection to the Lord's magic Alice herself had missed at first glance.

Once again, Daniel's perceptiveness was fully displayed.

It truly felt like he could see through everything...

Everything except himself, Alice suddenly realized.

Perhaps that was the reason for his strangeness.

This notion was reinforced by his refusal to accept the fake Hero's praise.

Maybe he really couldn't see his own good points, even if he could see other people's.

He often spoke in self-debasement because he thought that what even he couldn't perceive, perhaps truly was nonexistant.

This...

This could make sense.

Was this the answer?

Had Alice finally found the key to the incomprehensible human's mind?

She would have to test that.

After a successful practice round with the fake Hero, having managed to precede Daniel in breaking him out of his doubts, Alice decided to wait for a good moment for what she thought would be the real challenge.

She would repay her debt, this time for real.

~– ~ – ~

As they moved back towards Sabasa, Alice prepared herself for the oncoming clash of wits.

She calmly tried to predict any possible argument the unpredicatble human could make, playing out their conversation in advance multiple times in her own head, using her sharp mind to find all possible escape routes and seal them off.

The conversation at the Mermaid Pub had distracted even Alice long enough for them to leave the bar, before noticing what the human had meant with his vague answer to the fake Hero's inquiry.

Then he had once again dissipated the fake Hero's doubts with only a chop to the head and a few stolen words.

Just how good was his intuition!?

He hadn't even been present during the conversation, but he still managed to understand how best to act in order to leave absolutely no possible rebuttal to his argument!

Alice had thought to perhaps make an attempt that night, but she instead decided to wait and prepare even more.

Her train of thought was interrupted by being hugged by the fake Hero again, as she still could not manage to go against the human's ridiculous rule, both for her honor, and for her secret enjoyment of it.

Oh, she would enjoy taking her revenge, after she successfully won their debate...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, as the fake Hero walked about aimlessly to look for Gnome, Alice felt she was ready.

She had started the conversation with a casual, unrelated inquiry.

As expected, the human had immediately started denying his own worth, but unwittingly left an opening she could exploit.

She pointed out how he had fought, not just for himself but for others, showing his kindness.

He had casually denied her argument, claiming that he had still acted for his own benefit.

But this was the time for her ace in the hole.

If he truly was so selfish, why did he not ask for something that benefitted himself as repayment for her mistake?

She had, indeed, been ready to offer him almost anything, in order to erase the guilt she had felt, and she refused to believe he didn't know that.

He had tried evading the question, but she kept pressing, sure she had him cornered.

He had tried bluffing, she thought, and she called him out on it.

There was no possible argument he could have made now.

No possible SANE argument anyway.

Alice paused at his quick and sure answer, not having expected him to have one at all.

She asked him to elaborate, as she did not understand what he had meant by support.

Her blood froze in her veins, as the human made her realize that, indeed, everything she and Luka had to offer, he already effectively possessed.

Had this been his plan from the beginning!?

Just how far ahead did his thoughts run!?

Alice's mind was sent into a spiral of panic, as she desperately tried to find a way out of the human's trap.

Her mouth ran unbidden, as she asked him just how had he managed to turn sanity into insanity and vice-versa.

Her blood chilled once again at his casual reply, as it contained the core of an unshakeable truth.

The Sandworm had served as a distraction barely long enough for her to recover her composure.

But she was still trapped.

Even before the beginning of their match, the human had already won.

* * *

Part 3: Ilias

Just how had she been so blind!?

That human was dangerous!

The Goddess trembled in frustration, trying to think of any way she could rid herself of the dangerous snake that had infiltrated her Luka's group.

She had thought him as a mere cockroach before, as he quickly recovered from the Succubus' failure to end him.

He was resilient, but ultimately unimportant, though the damnable woman's reaction to his threat had been entertaining.

She had watched him console her Luka, and was even slightly grateful he managed to make him feel better, at least before he ruined the moment by involving the damnable woman.

When Ilias saw him protect Luka from the stupid humans' bomb, she was grateful once more, though he also started helping the Mermaids, making her previous feeling dissipate in annoyance.

Still, he kept taking care of her Luka as best he could, so she would tolerate him for now.

~– ~ – ~

As her Luka spoke about the humans that were perhaps her most loyal followers despite their mediocrity, there was a moment in which the human spoke as well.

However, Ilias couldn't understand the words.

Was her spell failing?

The small voice spoke again.

"He knows their pain... O̶̢̠̝͆̓̓͝ṷ̶̯͖̖̱̮̔͛͛͝r̶͚͛̊̽͛͘ ̶̺̬̋p̷̨̩̥̾a̸̛͉͖͈͔͊́͒i̸̱̮͕͖̓̌̒͋ǹ̴̡̢̞͎̰̘͗̊̿̈.̶͖̮̥̎̚ͅͅ.̴̨̝̲̣̻͝.̴̫̜̜̜͛̃" it said.

What?

She didn't get that last part.

Then, once again, the damnable woman dared to lay her hands on HER Luka, making the Goddess forget about the human's worthless existence.

~– ~ – ~

The following day, the stupid human had spoken once again about his worthless love.

The Goddess had scoffed at his stupidity.

That evening, the damnable woman started teaching him some familiar skills.

Hah!

Did she think the worthless human could ever compare to HER Luka, even with the powerful techniques of the Shadow Dancers?

Still, he could be useful to her Luka if he became a bit more than just useless baggage...

The Goddess had graciously allowed the human to continue existing for a bit longer.

~– ~ – ~

His first combat had been as disappointing as she had expected, with him receiving a heavy blow, her Luka finishing the fight pretty much on his own.

The damnable woman had no idea what she was talking about.

The Goddess had sneered at the human's proud expression, amused by his smallness.

~– ~ – ~

Ilias had paused at the human's face as he gazed at her divine visage, sculpted in her favourite statue.

...What did that look in his eyes mean?

The small voice spoke again.

"He pities us..." It said.

What?

Pity?

Ridiculous.

He was the pitiful one.

He was just a powerless existence, while she was a Goddess.

That annoying voice just refused to make any sense.

Then the damnable woman had distracted her again by threatening to destroy her statue, and actually breaking the sword that was meant to be HER Luka's.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, the human showed his cowardice, hiding from the so-called Heavenly Knight, as her Luka bravely faced the monster instead.

She was furious at seeing her Luka beaten down, but at least the swordswoman hadn't killed him.

She would take revenge for this too, later...

When the Dragon-kin explained her reason for being there, Ilias rejoiced.

The annoying Succubus that had been about to eat her Luka was dying? Served her right!

She only lamented that the monster hadn't managed to finish off the annoying human first...

There was no way he would agree to help her, the Goddess thought, after having seen the human's face that night.

And yet he had.

What?

The small voice spoke again.

"He forgave her... M̴̲͉͕̦̀̈̉͊ä̸̜̹́ÿ̷̨̐̅̉b̴̨̨̲͙̜̉̀̍̆̕è̷̡͚̗̓ ̶̡͎͙̳͋̂̈́͝ĥ̵̨̢͚̩͖͂̿̌̽ẹ̵̄́̅̍̐ ̴͉̫̹̪͙̉̿w̸̨̞̖̰̦̑͗o̸̗͍̮̫͌̉͠u̸̪̓̊̾̔̚l̵̛̛̩̮̳̳̰͆̆d̴̡̪͔̥̟͊̊́̕ ̶̡̨͔̟̥̋͛f̷̡̪̞̯͖̐ò̷̟̦͓̟̄͒̿r̵͓̳̔̚g̷̥͊̐͌̈î̷̞͉̎̈́̏͆v̶̭̟̥̰͛̍̈é̵̡̧̺̤͑̓̌͠ ̸̡̋̀̓͘͠ủ̶̟̲ͅs̷̛̲̝̒̈́͘ ̸̰̫͆̚͜ṫ̴̫̝̪̳͊o̵͔̯̻͐̎͆̕o̵̩̓̐͊̃͘.̴̧̖̘̞̝͗̄̂̚͘.̷̥̯̫̟̇̓̊̄͐.̵̢̨̩͎̃" it said.

Again?

Just what was up with that incomprehensible voice?

He had forgiven the Succubus?

What did that matter?

He would just die in her hands then.

Stupid human.

Good riddance.

~– ~ – ~

Just when the Goddess felt happy that she was never going to see the worthless human again, he had reappeared, daring to defy her expectations.

So he had succeeded?

How annoying, the Goddess thought...

But at least he had rejected the damnable woman again soon after, and he actually had damaged the dreadful castle and hit the Succubus, so she was appeased, if only temporarily.

Though the damnable woman was unforgivable after all!

~– ~ – ~

The human had reminded Ilias of Promestein for a second when he talked about those worthless disembodied souls...

But Promestein was still millions of times more powerful than he, even though she was still nothing compared to a Goddess.

~– ~ – ~

His body had actually changed quite a lot from the first time she had saw him, the Goddess noted, as the human shed his clothes before entering the ocean.

Of course, that didn't change anything.

Sculpted muscles and a handsome face didn't change his powerlessness.

~– ~ – ~

His agility underwater had been surprising, but still unimportant...

Well, at least he was trying to keep her Luka safe.

~– ~ – ~

His proposal to the Kraken was as stupid as he was.

The weak deserved nothing.

~– ~ – ~

Ilias had laughed at the worthless human's plight inside the Necromancer's lab.

He truly was weak, losing his lunch from something so trivial.

She had been through so much worse...

~– ~ – ~

Promestein's appearance had been a worry for a moment, but she still didn't dare to act against her Goddess.

Ilias had agreed with her servant's judgement of the human's worth.

Useless.

~– ~ – ~

The damnable woman's story had reawakened old memories within the Goddess.

She had easily suppressed them, as always, before glancing at the human's face.

The look in his eyes made her pause for a moment.

The voice spoke again.

"He knows... He understands..." it said.

Knows what?

Understands what?

Again, Ilias just couldn't make sense of the voice's rambling, her annoyance growing again.

~– ~ – ~

Her irritation had then turned to Promestein for letting a specimen escape her.

She had almost harmed HER Luka!

The human had done something right for once, before her Luka had outshone him in every way as he took care of the Chimera all by himself.

~– ~ – ~

As they crossed the desert, the human had once again proved his worthlessness, collapsing on the ground, and daring to burden her Luka.

She had actually planned to guide her Luka's way with one of her miracles, but the damnable woman had beat her to the punch because of him.

She had hoped his illness was grave, as it would have been a fitting punishment, but she was disappointed by his recovery.

Oh well, at least he hadn't made her Luka suffer even more by having to carry his useless carcass.

~– ~ – ~

She had held some hope for him to be killed by the enraged King, before the damnable woman had ruined everything.

Then, that night, the human was forgotten again, as the damnable woman still dared to defile HER LUKA!

~– ~ – ~

Within the Pyramid, the worthless human once again blabbered uselessly about his precious love to the disgusting tainted princess.

At least he was trying to be useful to her Luka though.

Ilias had actually enjoyed the worthless human's struggles against the Pyramid's monsters, as he was unable to even slightly harm them.

She was disappointed to hear he wasn't dying after all.

Not that it mattered how long his life-span was.

If she wanted him dead he would die instantly.

He was only alive because of her mercy.

She didn't think much of his knowledge either.

If his parents were from Remina, knowing about the Garuda was not so strange.

His plight at the hands of the Princess had been amusing to hear about, though she was disappointed the woman hadn't gone through with her threat.

~– ~ – ~

Ilias had observed her Luka being uplifted by the human's words, slightly grateful again.

Then he had ruined everything again with his request to the damnable woman.

Wait...

This could have been useful!

If Luka pretended to hug her and then stabbed her in the back...

That would have been perfect!

The Goddess was now looking forward to that moment, reconsidering the matter of the human's reward, if it happened.

Maybe she would even let Eden have him...

Again, she approved of the human helping her Luka be more careful about himself rather than all the other worthless humans.

Maybe he was not that bad after all.

The Goddess had observed her Luka fight through the worthless monsters in the mansion, ignoring the human's efforts, as HER Luka's brilliance shined through.

She was dazzled once more at his greatness, as he took down the vile witch.

Then everything had changed.

The human had entered the room, and started talking to the worthless sealed sorceress.

His every word had sent a spike of pure pain through her mind, as the voice SCREAMED at her, saying something impossible to understand, a̸͕̲̣̽̍̒n̴̦̩̒d̷̹̺̫̋ ̷̟͒̍i̸̝̾̑t̷͔̏̃̚ ̶̥̜̋̀w̷̛̭̻̮̓͘o̷̫͖̅ủ̴̥̠̦̕l̴̘̥̊̉̓ḍ̷̭̥̾̄̆n̷̝͐'̷̙͒t̵̹̻̘̓̌͆ ̵̭̳̈́ş̸͌h̵̲͛̂u̴̧̓ţ̵̋́͘ ̴̪̆̿͝ů̷̢͙p̶̠̝̀̑̔,̴̖̐͘ ̶̳͇͂͌ĭ̴͔t̴̟͙̀̃̎ ̴͖͙͐̚w̶͘͜a̷̠͊͑s̵̙͉̭̽̿̉ ̸̢̛̤̦̓̑s̵̹͛ŏ̴̱̱͇̚ ̶̖̺͊l̸͚̹̽o̷̹̦̓ǔ̸̝͒d̵̛͍̔̉ ̶͈̰͂͂͝s̵̥̖͉̆h̴̫́̍e̵̬̪͋̚ͅ ̸̨͔͐́͑c̶̢̛̈́͘ỏ̸̮̈́͝ṷ̶̽̚l̸̬̪͒͝d̷̺͊n̴̬̊'̵̟̲͗̽̈́t̸̰̳̅̄ ̸̣͒̈́͠h̶̨̼̦̆́̀e̸̙͕̺̓̀̇a̶̪̓͋͘ŗ̶͈͛̚ ̵̢͉̆̐h̷̜̤̊e̵̛̩͌͝r̴͉̒s̶̥͚̻̆ė̸̼l̷̡̩̙̓͗́f̸̣̥̃͐̊ ̴̛̯̌t̴̤͚͊̅͘h̷̞̮̱͐i̸͙̯̪̐̏̚n̷̫̼̮̂̽̓k̶͕̳̊̈̿

.

.

.

Á̸̛̛̮͇̥̜̹̤̥͉͉͖̠͇̼͉͕̯̲̺͍͈̙͌̒̐̃̀̌́͒̓̈́́̅͛͂̐̾̌̀̏̕A̴̢̨̲̼̮̼͍̰̬̻͈̬͉̗̼̙̬̠͚̖̮̬̻̲̞̓͊̔́̊͊͂̒̒͛̈́̐̌̀̏͋̃̕͘̚̚͘͜͝ͅA̵̘̟͎͚̗͖̜̠͕̲̹͇̗̽́͛̆͑̌̃̀̈́̈́͂́̑̽̌͋͐͛͆̄̀̇͊̆́̾̃̈́̄̚ͅͅĄ̵̢̢̨̨̻̦̲̗̲͎̥͕̜̪̦͓͈̹̳̖̫̣̳͎̤͙̆́ͅÄ̷̡̞̝͉̻̝͚̜̝͖͍̦͖͕̱̗͙͎̙̹͇́̃̍̉̃́͛̔̍͛̾͒̃͛̒͛͛̆͆́͗̍́̈́͐̅͛̒̚̕̕ͅÅ̵̧̨̙̱̗̥̭͔̝͉̜̥̼̘̖̪̭͈̤̱̫͇͎͚̄͑̅̽͗̈́̒̌̎͗̀̈́͑̾͆͊̀̌͒͒̈́̑͌̎̅̈͘͝͝͝͠͝ͅA̶̡̢̫̜͔̦̬̜̞̱͓̣̫͖̟̠̩̔̿̈́̓́̔̈͊̌͋̈́͘ǍĄ̶̢̡̢̢̡̨̨͍̠̣̠͓̤̟͈͈̮̤͍͉̼̬̟̝̰̦̭̠̑̀̈́͊̂̑̍̒̈̃̽̄̄͝A̵̧̧̡̲͉̲͈̺̪̲̟̭̜̥̜̺̰̼̲̫̤͎̟̝͊͛̀̏͑̍̄̈́̈̂̾̏̕ͅĄ̵̢̨͙̦̻͍̟͇̥̭̖̤̮͈̜̥̬̜͖͈̫͍̳̰̹̔͐̔̍̿̄̆͌̀̀̂̇̋́̈́͛̀̓͆͑̽͆̚͘͜͝͠͠R̵̨̡̛̗̰̫̪̰̤̠̠͚͓̲̲͈̫̬͆̓̈̏̂̃̈́̉̚͝͝ͅR̶̦̥̹̤̫̫̤̝̙̰̻̳̤̺̰̺̻̼̜͔̲̭͇̗̲̯̲̙̫̳̠̤̀̌͑̽̀̇̈́̅͛͑̋͗͂̕̚̚R̸̢̬͍͔͇̖̦̲̰̱̰̻̲͍̠͍̬̬̙̳̲̟̮̟̺̺̟͖͇̘̮̐̒̏̆̉̄̌̿̎̾͛͆̇͐̃̾̐͐̇̈́̈́̈̋̎̇̕͜͠͠͝͝͠ͅR̵̨̡̞̰̤͌̀̇̎̑̋̓̒̍͌̎̇̓̓̇̋͛́̿̓͂̑͌̽̄̂̍̀͘R̷̬̝̗̼̰͚̰̘̱̣̺̔́̈̄̔̽͜͠͠R̴̠̥̖̖͙̗̖̰̺͍̟̠̰̤̹̜̙͎͆̃̒̾̍͛̓́̐̍͂̆̇͆̌̍͒̓̌̋͒̏͛̀̓̾͠R̷̻̞͚͔̥̹͓̪̲̙̈́͋̎̏̑̂̃̎̂͗͘͘͘͝͠ͅG̴̹̫̯̅̈́̑̎͊̋̓̅̾̀͐̽́͗̂̎͊͛͋̉̂̑͂̂̓̿̃͠͝͝͠͠Ģ̷̧̤͓͇̬͔̙͉̤̼̺̤̩̈͐̍̍͑̉̈̽̌̈̽̍̐̎̕̕͠͠͝G̶̤̪̳̬̟͐͋̈́̉̃̾̀́̒͑̃̃̆͑̑̋̀̔̇̓̌̀̐̈́͌͒͒͘͠͝G̷̨̣͓͉̞̣̝͚̘̠̻͔̜̘̥̮͇̫͌̊͑͛̐̇͗̎͜͝͝Ģ̵̨̛̛̦͉͓͙̦̥̘̝̬̦̰̪̲̯̲͚͕͎̜̥̺̟̣͓̞̠̗͓̆͋͑͌͌͒̎͗̎̾͐͐͐̀̎͐̉̐͛̚͘͘̚ͅH̵̦̺̮̣̼̘̘̲̥͈̩͇̳͗̈́̊̆̀͗͆̌̀̾̋̂͘͘̕͜͜Ḧ̵̢̨̠̠͚̣͎̩̞͙̹́̓͑̿̐̋͂̚̚͝͝͝H̷̫̹̻̲̲̠̻̦̬̯̥͍͔̱̙̙͙̗̤̬̙̱͓̿͒͐̌͝H̸̨͔̭͔̬̻̮͚̘̳̝̤͈̟̖͉̼͇̦͓̳̪̪̭̠͙̼̦̫͙͔͎̱͌̈̂̎̋̋̅̈́̊͠!̵̛̛͍̹̭̲̺̺͖͚͍̭̟̱͚̗̞̞̘͚̥̝͔̦̼̬̖̂̌̿͊̈̓̉͆̓͑̊͋̌͑̋͆̄̉̐̂̾̔̀̐͘̚̚̕̚͝!̸̧̧̛̙͙͎̤͍̥̳͈͕̺̗͕̺͇̬͈̥͇̬̟͈̰͙̏̋̈́̓͛̆ͅͅ!̶̨̦̣͍̞͉͖̹̔̓̇̊̏̿̏͒͋̿̾͆̇̂̆͛͆͐̀̽͝͝͝!̶̧̠͉̰͈̘̜̪̻̥͖́͐̋͗͂̆͑̈́͋̍͌͊̅̋́͛͒̃̄̚̕͘̕͝͝!̵̥̬͍̄́͊̾̂͠!̴̨̧̢̳̩̝͓͖̜̯̩̗̞͙̜͗̌̇̽̒̉̂̀͒̆̏͗͆͗͛̐̊̈́̐̎̍̚̚͝͝͠ͅ!̵̧̛̛̤͈̟͇̪̪̩͖͔̰͓͇̮̺͍̗̖̼͎̥̳̼̫̝͔̼̰̱̋͌̂̃͋́̄͊̀̍̽͑̀̔̇͑͐̈́̈́́͜͜͝ͅͅ!̶̡̢̺̺̹͎͕͍̤̯͍̦͙̻̮̺̥͙̹̜̹̦̒͗̔͆̑̋́̉̂͛̈́̅́͛̈̊́͆̊̕̚͠͝ͅ!̴̢̟͉͉͙̹̘̘͇͉͍̤͓͔̥̫̦̬͗̾̈̓͗͋͝ͅ!̴̧͈̭̤̺͉͚̟̳͎̮̟̘͇̟͉̜̠̦̞̝͖̓̾̊̒͒͂̅̿̃̅͗͌͛͗̀̑̍̈́̌̂̑̕̕̕͜͝͝!̶̛̼̲̹̠̏̎̐͂̀̐̈́̅͌̑̀̑̅̀̆͝͠!̴̯̺̭̤̱͆̍̈́̌̇̾̊̓̿̂͐̒͘!̸̡̨̜͇̥̠̏̅̀͂̐̆̐̒͌̄̐̓͋͋̂̽́̆̉̾̏͘̕͝͝ͅ!̷̢̡̡̹͔̙̞͓͕̺̥̦̮̥̟̘̤̗͚̫͕́̀̓̾̑͑̓͋̋̕!̵̡͚̬͔̖̞̣̖̟̤͈͕̫͚͇̋͆́͐̎̀̈́̐̉̄̀̅̒̋̆̏̎͐͊̓̀̐̀̅̿͛͝͠͝͝!̵̧̹̬̠͎̈́̎̀̾̈̈́̈́̃̓̃͌͛̆̑̋͘͜͜͝͝͝!̶͖̗͙̥̲̤̭̼͈̆̈͆̄̚͝!̶̣̇͛̓̀̌̀̀͂́̏̒̌͆͂̀̑̀̀̈͝͝!̸̨̨̢̛̩̩̝̖͎̯̝̭̳̼̦͕͚̺̣̱͙̥̯͕̝͆͊̃͌͛̈́͑̅̑͛̿̀̂͌͋̄̏͘͘̚͝ͅ

.

.

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After the Goddess finally managed to regain control, she looked back at her still active scrying pool.

Her perfect hair was ruffled, her composure lost.

The face of the human looked the same as always, as he praised her Luka's bravery, recognizing his own uselessness.

But she knew it was a facade now.

He was dangerous, in ways she couldn't understand.

She immediately called Promestein to commision a Next Doll for the specific purpose of eliminating the dreadful human.

She knew his game now.

He had made himself untouchable by getting close to HER Luka.

But he wouldn't be untouchable forever.

When HER LUKA killed the damnable woman, the Goddess would enjoy hearing the human's screams, as she rewarded her Hero with all that she was.

* * *

Part 4: Granberia

Just how much could a single human change in the span of a few days?

Granberia had been asking herself this question incessantly, after the reason for her doubt had disappeared through her own magic.

She had first met him in the city she was conquering, fighting alone against their army.

So far, the battle had been disappointing.

Some of the soldiers had heart, but none of them had the strength to defend their conviction.

Granberia had been intrigued by a human knowing Demon Decapitation, as the powerful Cursed sword technique was only known by very few people.

Perhaps she could actually enjoy a good fight that day, after all, she had thought wistfully.

However, her distraction had cost her, as she had let the enemy take her by surprise.

When she felt the cold steel of the dagger on her throat, there was a moment in which she could only stay completely still, like a frog under a snake's gaze, paralyzed by primal fear.

Death, was the only thought in her mind.

Granberia had used the rage she felt at her own carelessnes to unblock herself, turning to face her opponent.

She had expected to see some sort of expert assassin, or some unimaginable monster.

Instead, all she saw a single, fat, sweaty human.

She also could not feel the slightest trace of power from him.

His hand held the blade still, his expression and tone nonchalant, as he stared right in her eyes, while still ignoring her question.

Despite his lack of perceivable aura, Granberia had felt a chill down her spine.

This human was dangerous!

The Heavenly Knight had tried to argue with her Lord.

This was just the kind of human that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible, before he started killing monsters!

She was overruled, however, and could do nothing but retreat.

She promised herself that the next time she wouldn't let him get away.

~– ~ – ~

A few days later, as she kept up her daily training, Alma Elma hadapproached her.

Granberia had been complaining about the human for the last few days, mostly over drinks Alma herself had brought.

In retrospect, she maybe had overestimated the human.

After all, she had noticed his hand holding the dagger wrong, his stance full of openings.

She had considered it might have been a facade, but she doubted her Lord would keep someone so dangerous so close.

The swordswoman had immediately reconsidered when she saw the sorry state her friend was now in.

She had felt a mad fury ignite her soul, looking at her fellow Heavenly Knight's dazed expression...

The damned human that had dared to hurt her would pay!

Immediately after she had the thought, however, her friend's desperate denial stopped her in her tracks.

Her mind was blown, when Alma defended the human, and admitted her own guilt.

Her kind friend had been enraged enough to actually harm someone?

Just what had the damned human done to her!?

She couldn't even begin to be mad, looking at Alma Elma, the Queen Succubus act like a repentant criminal.

Tamamo had also met the human, it seemed.

But she apparently had a different opinion of his looks than Granberia did.

It had only been a few days, how could he possibly have lost so much weight that he could be called a hunk!?

Just what kind of hell had he pushed himself through, for his body to change so much!?

Granberia would ponder over that later.

Now, her friend needed her.

She had listened to Alma Elma's story, failing to understand how it was connected to the Succubus' miserable state.

Then she was dumbstruck by the conclusion she came to.

The human had what?

Asked what?

Just what the hell was going on!?

~– ~ – ~

A few more days had passed after that.

Alma Elma still refused to leave her room, the men the other Succubi had brought in left untouched.

Granberia was now starting to fear for her friend's life.

How long could she last without feeding?

The stronger the monster, the more they needed nutrition to survive.

And Alma Elma was one of the strongest in the world.

Her resilience helped, but Granberia knew she was reaching her limit.

She had felt her friend's aura weakening more and more, almost a shadow of its former self, unable to do anything.

She would not sit still any longer.

~– ~ – ~

The Dragon-kin ignored the humans' reaction to her presence, as she entered the city the Hero her Lord was instructing was most likely headed towards.

She coincidentally felt his presence inside the castle, and had broke through the defenses with the force of her desperation.

She had fought the young Hero again, momentarily noting his improvement.

She made a point to consider it later.

She had other priorities at the moment.

Finally, she had ground out her request, feeling like she was spitting venom with every word.

But her friend was more important than her pride.

Then the damned human had jumped out of a random closet, startling her, before yelping fearfully and closing the doors back up, as if she could forget he was there.

...What?

Was that another trick?

She had watched him slowly come out of hiding, her gaze poring over his changed appearance.

She could tell it was the same human, but he was also completely different.

His body had went from fat to well-toned and pleasing to the eye.

He was now clad in high-quality protective gear of elven making, making her wonder where he had even managed to procure it.

But, most of all, his previous nonchalant attitude was now replaced by a timid, almost fearful gaze, despite his evident befuddlement.

Granberia resolved herself to ignore his changes for now, focusing on her friend instead.

She had grown fearful at her Lord's warning.

Was she going to deny her request?

She couldn't!

She wouldn't... Right?

The Hero had shouted at her again, making her despair grow even more.

What was she going to do!?

If the human refused to come, she would have no choice but to...

Then the human himself had seemingly gone back to his normal self and agreed to her demand, asking for nothing in return, his voice filled with resolve.

...What?

Why?

Why would he agree to help her?

The warrior was suspicious of her enemy's motives, but she didn't have a choice.

She would just have to keep an eye on the human, ready to end him, if needed.

~– ~ – ~

Even as she walked the familiar castle's hallways, Granberia continued trying to understand the human's ulterior motive.

What did he have to gain from her bringing him here?

Was he going to try and sneak away to steal something?

Then the human inquired about Tamamo.

Was she his objective?

If that was the case, then there was no problem.

The old monster was able to defend herself anyways...

Granberia had still given him a warning, however, letting him know she was not buying his facade.

Then the human had looked her right in the eyes and rebuked her threat with a cold voice, reproaching her for her selfishness.

She had been stunned enough that she couldn't reply right away, before he started walking again.

Granberia was forced to admit, despite everything, he had a point.

~– ~ – ~

The Dragon-kin had completely understood Tamamo's surprise when she told her the human had come willingly.

Granberia grew sadder and sadder, as her friend started sobbing again, the Dragon-kin failing to understand the reason she was suffering so much.

The warrior inside her was frustrated by being unable to fight her way through her dear friend's anguish.

Then she was utterly dumbstruck by the damnable human's sheer cruelty, when he had the gall to break down the door to Alma's room.

How dare he!?

Wasn't her friend already in enough pain!?

How could he do something that brutal!?

Damned human!

Granberia was about to snap and take him down, consequences be damned, when Tamamo stopped her, her tone giving the Dragon-kin pause.

Had she realized something?

The Kitsune was old and wise, despite her appearance.

The warrior momentarily acquiesced, trusting in her fellow Heavenly Knight's intuition.

The conversation they both heard from the other side of the door had been incomprehensible.

The Dragon-kin had almost broke the hold Tamamo had on her, when she heard the harsh tone the human used at first.

But then, she stopped completely, after hearing his voice grow lighter, almost sweet, talking to her friend like she was a child that was sad from a trivial mistake.

She unconsciously pushed the door slightly open, slowly and silently.

She listened to the human debase himself, as if he was ashamed to be in the same room as someone as kind as her friend.

Her jaw dropped, when she saw him hitting her friend, before declaring them even.

Finally, he concluded by harshly ordering her to not argue any further, like scolding a child that was throwing a tantrum.

And, to Granberia's immense surprise, it had worked perfectly.

Her friend's eyes glazed over in a look she had seen before, drool coming out of her mouth.

The human had pleaded to be saved from her hunger, and Granberia instinctively complied, carrying him out of the room.

Then he had blushed like a ripe tomato, and desperately requested another portal.

Again, the Dragon-kin had unconsciously complied.

The words she should have said came out of a different person's lips, as he disappeared on the other side.

It took her a while to snap out of her reverie after that, as she thought back to his gentle smile, as he helped her friend for nothing in return.

A small blush was on her face as well.

* * *

Part 4: Tamamo

The oldest monster alive that wasn't fully sealed behind an unbreakable boundary was stunned at the human's ability to do what she could not have done in days, in less than a minute.

She had easily understood the reason for the Succubus' guilt long before.

How could she not?

Her immeasurable experience had made her prepared for mostly anything.

She had actually made a few different plans for how to treat the problem at its root, all of them likely to work, but with abundant redundancy.

It would have taken some time, but Tamamo was almost certain she would succeed in the endeavor.

Yet, all of her preparations had proven to be unnecessary.

Tamamo no Mae remembered the first time she had met the human.

He was totally her type, there was no use beating around the bush.

The boy near him was cute too, but she had always preferred someone a bit manlier.

Broad shoulders, a toned body, and a handsome face with just the right shape...

She was already feeling hungry.

As for his personality, he seemed thoughtful, if a little tricky.

She enjoyed the challenge.

She had thought of passing a fun night with him, maybe even just talking for a while, before seeing if they were physically compatible.

She had the perfect leverage in the form of Poseidon's bell, and he wouldn't have a reason to deny her some harmless fun, right?

His swift refusal had been surprising.

Had she misjudged him?

But it didn't seem to be personal...

And he didn't seem to be disgusted by monsters, seeing as he was unfazed by little Alice's presence...

See, he even had lived with monsters before.

And he denied worshipping Ilias, which was a nice bonus...

Was it about her apparent age?

She really missed having her true body at times like this...

Oh?

He didn't seem bothered by her claim to experience.

Had he already guessed she was older than she looked?

Wait...

Was he the one lacking in experience?

Virgins were always so much fun...

Tamamo was then snapped out of her thoughts instantly, as she felt a chill run down her spine, her well-honed instincts screaming at her to retreat.

Even in her long life, Tamamo rarely had seen eyes as cold as those belonging the human in front of her.

What the hell was that!?

Just what had happened to this man for such sheer frost to reside in him!?

How was he even functioning...?

Tamamo had recovered her composure soon after, hiding her surprise with a cough.

She would have to investigate this man afterwards...

~– ~ – ~

Her research had proved fruitless.

The old monster had looked for any information on the human for days on end, her helpers failing to come up with anything.

She also was slightly depressed about being rejected.

She was a confident woman, after all, and it was indeed frustrating to be shot down so harshly by someone so handsome...

As she passed by the two other Heavenly Knights in the castle, Alma Elma's distress had caught her attention.

The story she recounted left Tamamo dumbstruck, before her eyes narrowed in concern.

Enough was enough.

She would have to speak with little Alice.

The mystery behind that human was potentially dangerous.

~– ~ – ~

She had managed to get little Alice to share some details after making a quick trip to Port Natalia, the cute boy Luka lying unconscious on a bed, drained dry, and the human himself outside on his own.

His story had shocked her, and his particular body did not make sense to her.

The old monster was keenly aware of the laws of the world.

He appeared to be weak and not hostile, but the chill she had felt was still fresh in Tamamo's mind.

She would have to be careful around him...

Perhaps she could try to get closer to him.

If he truly was an enemy, she could more easily find out his true motives that way, after all.

And if he wasn't, the old monster was confident she could help his frosted heart warm over, as she had done so for many in the past...

And, really, she still just thought he was handsome.

~– ~ – ~

Tamamo hadn't expected to see him again so soon, as he entered the room together with Granberia.

How had she managed to convince little Alice to have him come?

She hadn't.

The implications were clear.

The human had come to help.

And help he had.

Even as he passed through the young Dragon-kin's portal, Tamamo's thoughts were filled with how cute he had been while blushing like that, her stomach lightly rumbling.

* * *

Part 5: Alma Elma

Even as she replenished her energy, enjoying the feeling of the eager men's attentions, Alma Elma thought only of the human that had absolved her of her sin.

She had went to see him in order to avenge her friend, fully intending to make him go mad in pleasure, having him leave the world in complete bliss, like she had done to many before.

She was a Succubus, after all, brutal violence was anathema to her.

She would remove those that dared to threaten those she cared about with them thanking her, as they drew their last breath inside of her.

She was proud of her title as Queen Succubus, though she cared little for the responsibility, and she wouldn't let her unwanted inborn talent define her.

That was what she had thought, however, before hearing the broken voice of the human she was holding in her arms.

She had just been playing around, he hadn't even began to feel good yet!

There was no reason for him to cry out like that.

Unless...

Alma Elma's world had crumbled around her at the sight of the human's eyes, as a terrible pain, the likes of which she had never seen before, was now present within the man she was embracing.

The Succubus had barely maintained a facade of playfulness, her brain still catching up with reality, and she had ran away as fast as she could.

~– ~ – ~

She had instinctively sought her best friend.

When she reached her, however, she didn't know what to say.

The guilt she felt overpowered everything else, her mind replaying his broken plea over and over, her own gaze unfocused, as her thoughts went to his tear-filled eyes.

She replied to her friend's questioning almost unconsciously, before realizing what the warrior was about to do.

Instantly, she had shrieked desperately at her, thankfully stopping her from making her sin even bigger.

Then she had confessed it to her.

However, her friend didn't seem to understand.

As Tamamo joined the conversation, Alma Elma relived the scene in her head, her haze returning.

Her friend asked for details.

She provided them.

Slowly, excruciatingly, her words made the scene real again.

Finally, she could hold her guilt no more, as her pride, resolve, and denial of her true nature were crushed under it.

As her comrades were still stunned by her confession she ran to her room.

She had no plans to ever leave it.

Her mother had been right.

She was disqualified as a Succubus.

She would not allow the savage she was born to be to harm anyone else.

~– ~ – ~

Alma Elma wasn't sure how much time had passed after that.

Hours?

Days?

Weeks?

Several times, her friends had tried to get her to come out.

She had refused to touch the men they brought, lest she cause any more pain.

She had wept at her friend's pleas, but she couldn't risk hurting them too...

She just couldn't get out of her head the image of the human's crumpled form, tears falling from his eyes...

And then the human himself had reappeared out of nowhere, breaking down the walls she had built around herself like a sledgehammer.

He had asked her what she was doing making her friends worry about her.

She had apologised ceaselessly, not daring to even look at him, her shame hidden only by the bedsheets she was cowering under.

And then he had called her sin trivial.

What?

He told her of how she was a much better person than he was, speaking of the pride he had felt after he caused someone else pain, whilst she instead was troubled by it.

But this didn't erase her sin...

She still was a savage...

Then he had hit her back.

Her forehead ached with pain, and she was indignant for a moment.

Then she looked at his slight blush, as he politely looked away from her nude form, before turning back at her and smiled sweetly, even as he spoke harshly, and raised his hand again.

Suddenly, she smelled something delicious behind him, drool coming out of her mouth as her stomach rumbled.

She barely noticed Granberia whisking him out of the room, as she started gorging herself.

Only, for some reason, her forehead felt good.

* * *

Part 7: Promestein

Promestein hadn't been lying about her first evaluation of the strange mutant.

He was interesting as a test subject, but his lack of power was in direct conflict with her research's objective.

She would take her time to study him at leisure later, she had thought.

He couldn't possibly resist her anyway.

The scientist was beyond surprised to hear Ilias' command to build another Next Doll just for the purpose of killing him.

Why would she give such an order?

The mutant had no more way to harm angels than any other baseline human, any random angel could easily subdue him without risk.

Making another Next Doll required use of precious resources, her own limited time first and foremost, and the end result could only be subpar compared to the others anyway.

Not only that, but there was a slight chance that, given the haste required to construct it upon schedule, the Doll itself could fail to acomplish the job satisfactorily, given their physical nature.

Angels couldn't be stopped by luck, even temporarily.

However, any thought the scientist had of arguing was thrown out the window at the sight of the Goddess' expression.

She seemed the same as usual, but that twitch...

Was that... Fear?

The Goddess Ilias was scared?

Of a single, powerless mutant?

Promestein's interest spiked, as she regretted not grabbing the deceptively invaluable research subject when she had the chance.

She immediately started working on her Goddess' commission.

However, she didn't plan on actually eliminating the mutant.

He was far too precious for that...


	32. Chapter 32: Competing and confessing

As we walked out of Safina, and into Noah, the scenery finally became verdant once more, to my immense relief after the dull lifelessness of the desert.

"Hmm, it seems there are quite a few unique specialties to be found there. The Coliseum in the castle is quite famous too. Well, not that I care about what goes on in the Coliseum floor. But the food stands are supposed to be riveting." Alice said excitedly for the nth time.

"Yes, yes, I know. You've mentioned it over and over already." Luka complained, before assuming a thoughtful look, imagining himself fighting in the Coliseum, no doubt.

"Hehehe... If that were to happen, what would I do? I'd be a celebrity! Hehehe..." he started laughing dreamily.

"Quit making that creepy laugh! Hmmhmm... In the far off east from here, there's a village called Yamatai with a unique food culture. Sushi, Tempura, Sukiyaki, Soba... That sounds... Gah!" Alice suddenly yelped, as I put both hands on her shoulders, looking her right in the eyes.

"Did you just... Say sushi? You did, right?" I inquired in my most serious tone.

"Yes... Why?" Alice confirmed in an uncomfortable voice.

"I fucking love Sushi. Luka, once we're done with the important stuff in this region we're going there. It's non-negotiable." I declared, turning my gaze to him.

He looked taken aback by my intensity, taking a step back and nodding wordlessly.

"Good." I concluded, before my expression went back to normal, and I started walking again.

They both followed a second later, looking at each other in concern for a moment.

~– ~ – ~

About a minute later, a dark presence entered my perception.

I could tell its body shape as soon as it entered my range.

Were my senses getting sharper?

Well, I wasn't complaining if that was the case.

I hid behind a tree, as Luka spoke up.

"Hmm...? Did you hear the sound of hooves? Alice, hurry up! Switch to a human appearance before they come!" Luka pleaded.

"...That's not necessary. Hmph, one of those insatiable breeding types." Alice scoffed, before disappearing from sight.

"Eh...?" Luka said in confusion, as the monster approached him.

She looked like a normal woman from the waist up, but her lower half was that of a horse.

"B... Boy, I have a request..." the Centaur Girl started, her breath ragged.

"Are you ok?" Luka asked in concern.

"I... It's mating season. M...My pussy is aching so much... P...Please, use that thing of yours to calm me down!" The Centaur requested, her tone pained.

"I... I can't do that! That's banned by Ilias!" Luka protested.

"You can use that tiny body of yours to pound my throbbing pussy... Ah, you can shake that tiny waist of yours and mate with me endlessly, crying in rapture..." the Centaur continued, her eyes glazing over.

Luka pulled out his sword in preparation for the unavoidable fight.

"Hmm...?" Luka voiced out curiously, as Gnome's power shifted inside him.

It was time for him to summon her.

"Gnome, lend me your power!" he pleaded, as his body was suffused with the strenght of the earth.

"What is this!?" Luka said in awe at the power flowing through him.

"That... I want to lick it..." the Centaur Girl said, as she used Luka's distraction to lower his pants and suck him greedily.

Luka slashed at her, making some distance, but the Centaur Girl turned her back to him and charged backwards, pinning him down.

"I can't stand it any longer... Mate with me now! Come on... My pussy is just waiting for you... I don't care what you want, you're going to mate with me..." the Centaur said heatedly, as she started leaning towards him.

But Luka's new strength was immense.

"With this power...!" Luka roared, as he pushed the massive body away, despite his tiny frame.

I sort of envied him at that moment.

"Kuh... So thin, but so strong!" the Centaur commented, as Luka decimated her defenses with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

The fight lasted little after that.

"Guh... What... Is this!?" the Centaur stammered, before being sealed in the form of a small horse.

I was actually kind of saddened by her condition...

Maybe she really was just some really nice girl with an unfortunate biological problem.

Still, I couldn't fault Luka for his actions either, of course.

"Whew... So that was Gnome's power... With that strenght, I could get out of any hold... And if I used that to attack..." Luka pondered, awed at the Spirit's power.

"But that's too much for you at the moment. You would probably screw up and hurt yourself somehow." Alice deadpanned.

"Yeah... That might be true. All that's left is to practice, I guess." Luka concluded.

"That's the spirit! Get it?" I quipped.

"Yeah, well, good luck with that. By the way, isn't it almost sunset? Let's camp here tonight... Luka, make dinner." Alice ordered with a small smile at the thought of food.

"Sheesh didn't you just eat?" Luka asked in annoyance.

"...What was that? Your protests never cease! Very well, I shall make dinner tonight." Alice declared, a chill running down my spine at her words.

"Eh!? Alice, you can cook!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible for the Monster Lord!" Alice smugly declared.

I knew, at that moment, our fates were already sealed.

I braced myself for the inevitable.

Oh well, at least it would be entertaining to watch...

~– ~ – ~

"Are you ok, Alice?" Luka asked in concern, as Alice stuffed random ingredients in a pot.

"Of course. Just who do you think I am?" Alice scoffed.

"A... Are you really ok?" Luka insisted, noting she had not washed any of them.

"Ahh, shut up! Go away until it's done!" Alice ordered in annoyance, as she shoved Luka away from the kitchen area.

I promptly moved behind Luka, and braced for the impact.

"Hmph. Tremble before my unrivaled skill! I shall cook you with infernal flames!" Alice yelled, as her energy surged in a storm of fire that made the entire pot vanish in the flames.

Silence reigned for a while after, as I desperately struggled not to laugh uproariously.

One does not simply insult a woman's cooking prowess, no matter the world, if they want to live...

"What's with that self confident face..." Luka said, looking dryly at Alice, as she ate the dried meat contentedly.

"...It was unavoidable, I was never taught cooking skills. All I studied was how to be a good Monster Lord, not how to be a homemaker." Alice claimed.

"Studied how to be a good Monster lord? Who taught you?" Luka inquired. Alice hesitated a moment before replying.

"...Tamamo. She was put in charge of my education by the previous Monster Lord." Alice replied.

"...Eh? You're younger than Tamamo? Actually, just how old are you anyway? Since you're the Monster Lord... About 300 years old?" Luka guessed.

I just cringed, plugging my ears preemptively.

One does not simply talk about a woman's age either.

"You fool! I'll be 22 this year!" Alice roared indignantly.

"Ehh!? You're that young!?" Luka asked incredulously.

"I'm older than you. Show some respect. You idiot." Alice said smugly.

...Speaking of which, had my birthday passed already?

It had huh...

Well congrats to me, I guess.

24 years old.

I felt a pang of homesickness at that.

"Anyway... So Tamamo is your mentor? Just how old is Tamamo?" Luka asked.

"...I don't know. She's certainly the oldest of the four Heavenly Knights. I've heard she was also in charge of my mother's education. There are even rumors that she was in charge of the fifth Monster Lord's training." Alice explained.

I knew it was most likely true.

She was the oldest monster currently in existance after all.

"...That's enough of that topic. It's time to start tonight's combat training. You need to be able to really use Sylph and Gnome's power as soon as possible." Alice declared.

"Alright, I'll do my best!" Luka said resolutely.

"As for you, Daniel... I have a new technique for you."Alice started.

"Cool. What is it?" I asked curiously.

"...It's an offensive skill. It's called Shadow Lance. The purpose of the technique is to pierce the opponent's body with your hand, causing heavy damage. It's said that..." she started.

"Whoa, whoa that sounds way too gory for me! Don't you have some other less bloody offensive technique? I don't have Luka's sword, you know?" I reminded her.

"...Very well. How about this then. It's a bit more advanced, but it should fit your needs better. The name of this technique is Grasping Shadow. It's a technique that redirects an opponent's charge to throw them on the ground using their own momentum. It's said that whoever was hit by a user of this technique felt like their own shadow dragged them down and struck them." Alice proposed.

"That sounds pretty good actually, depending on the terrain it could be even stronger. I can already think of various situations it could be useful in..." I spoke thoughtfully, my hand on my chin.

"...Alright. The basics of this skill revolve around..." Alice explained the technique to me, as she guided my movements through it.

She was right about it being difficult, but I did have an advantage.

By its nature, the skill required to predict an opponent's movements.

My new sense was perfectly suited for that.

"Whew..." Luka sighed, as he took a rest from his training.

"As usual, you're horrible at using Sylph's power. All you have to do is infuse yourself with the wind, and move as if you were a gale." Alice instructed him.

"Ev... Even if you say it that easily..." Luka grimaced.

"Also, you may have already noticed it. But you can't use Sylph and Gnome's power at the same time yet. As soon as you summon one, you lose all grasp of the other. Another pathetic shortcoming." Alice continued.

"I see... I'll take care not to mix them up then. Once I get Undine and Salamander, it will get even more confusing... Choosing from all four of them..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully.

"If you improve yourself, you should be able to summon all of their power at the same time. Moving like the wind, with the strength of the earth, your heart calm and flowing like water, with your attacks holding the blazing power of fire. But that's getting ahead of yourself for now." Alice explained.

"You said something like that before, too... But it still sounds suspicious. Who did you hear that from? It doesn't sound like something you would come up with." Luka questioned.

"What? I know you're a fool, but I can't believe you said something that stupid. A wannabe Hero doesn't even know the oral tradition handed down by that human Hero Heinrich?" Alice mocked.

"Ehh!? R... Really? Why do you know that quote then, Alice?" Luka asked in awed disbelief.

I was looking forward to seeing his face when he learned just who he descended from...

"Rather, why don't you know the quote, oh aspiring Hero? Heinrich mastered those abilities, and used them to take down the Monster Lord. She was called "Black Alice", and was the feared 8th Monster Lord. Do you still think that quote is suspicious?" Alice smugly asked.

"I... I see. In that case, that changes things! Alright, it's time to practice with renewed effort! Until I move like the earth, and calm like the... Fire? Wait, how did it go again?" Luka dumbly said, making me laugh loudly

"Whew... A calm fire, nice. Think we could roast some potatoes on that?" I quipped.

"First, you need to move like the wind. Instead of just running around like a lunatic, you need to move in controlled bursts of speed, like a gale." Alice said, ignoring my joke.

"Uoooo! I'll become the wind!" Luka roared loudly, running around like a maniac.

"Sheesh..." Alice sighed in resignation.

"Well, at least he's enthusiastic." I quipped again.

She just sighed even louder.

We spent some more time training after that, Alice still helping me learn my new technique.

~– ~ – ~

"Ilias, please watch over me. Please let your wisdom and judgement show me a way to let monsters and humans live together peacefully." Luka prayed to his Goddess as we were about to sleep.

I silently kept preparing my bedroll.

"...Contradicting yourself as usual. You ask for protection, then immediately ask her something that goes against what she stands for." Alice dryly commented.

"No, that's not what I was..." Luka weakly protested.

"Your belief system is full of contradictions." Alice started, glancing at me once.

What?

Why was I involved in that?

"You want to follow Ilias, who wants to purge monsters. But then you want monsters and humans to live together peacefully. You rebelled against your father's way of life, who wanted to take down the Monster Lord. But then your mother made it so that you could choose no path but one of a Hero. Your values and beliefs are pulling you in every direction at once. You understand that, don't you?" Alice continued.

Luka offered no reply.

"You trained all those years just to keep your mind off all that, didn't you? You're going to have a breakdown eventually. You're going to have to decide and solve those contradictions. Even I don't really know what's going on inside you." Alice concluded.

"...I see... I'll figure it out on the journey. There's still a lot in this world I don't know about." Luka finally said, after thinking hard for a while.

"...Yes, that's true. Even Heinrich didn't start out as a legendary Hero. His road to that was paved with hardships and battles all along the way... Just keep going until you get your 'answer' at the end... Well, that's if it doesn't end abruptly mid-way of course." Alice finished.

"It won't. You worry too much. Ain't no way he's gonna lose. As long as he doesn't slack off, that is..." I assured.

"I... I'm not going to quit mid way! I'll make it all the way, and beat the four Heavenly Knights!" Luka proclaimed resolutely.

"Hehe, well, try your best. As I said at the start of the journey, Luka... I want to see if all that you say is your true self or not." Alice said, glancing at me again.

Seriously, what was up with that?

"If you don't want me to laugh at you, make your fantasy world of sugar and rainbows come true." she mocked.

"Yes... I'll show it to you, Alice!" Luka declared, as we finally went to bed.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, we began walking east again.

"Wow... What a pretty river." Luka said, looking at the clear waters, as a few dark presences moved towards him inside them.

I hid myself behind a tree again.

"This isn't the time to rest, you idiot. Right now, monsters are eyeing you hungrily, waiting for a chance to attack." Alice warned, before disappearing from sight.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed, before noticing the two frog-like monsters crawling towards him.

"Ahaha, it's a human!" one exclaimed.

"A source of delicious semen... We just need to play with his thing to be fed." the other elaborated.

Inside the river, I could still feel multiple presences.

The two outside were simply the strongest.

"I don't want to fight, but if you attack me, you'll leave me no choice!" Luka said, pulling out his sword and summoning Gnome's power.

The two Frog Girls started tag-teaming Luka, as one was slashed, the other used her hands or feet to caress him.

They were obviously used to working together.

Luka used a Death Sword Chaos star on one of them, but the other grabbed him from behind, throwing him into the river.

"Aha, caught you." the first Frog Girl singsang, as the monsters all converged on Luka, holding him down.

"Hehe... We'll play with you now. Our long tongues can still reach you like this..." the other Frog Girl said seductively, but Luka immediately used Gnome's power to break free of their grasp.

"What's with that strenght!? Was that some kind of strange magic...?" the Frog Girls exclaimed, as Luka started wailing on them again.

"Kyaa! What's happening!?" the first monster yelled, as her body turned into a small frog.

"Ahh! H... help me!" the other Frog Girl screamed, as she escaped with the others, swimming away in the currents.

"Whew..." Luka sighed.

"What's with that sad face? Are you hungry?" Alice inquired, seeing the look on Luka's face.

"Why would that be your first... Nevermind." Luka sighed, as we started walking again.

~– ~ – ~

"By the way, Daniel, why didn't you join the fight? Don't you want to test your new technique?" Alice inquired, as we kept walking.

"Well, I was thinking of letting Luka get used to fighting with Gnome's power as a first priority." I explained.

"You don't have to worry about me, you need the practice too! Besides there was more than one enemy, wasn't there?" Luka pointed out.

"Yeah, but neither of them was on your level alone. They would have offered you no challenge separated. Besides, you're the Hero, remember? I'm just tagging along." I elaborated.

Luka was silent after that, but I could tell he still wanted to say something.

"...Also, I was maybe thinking of trying to get some experience fighting at the Coliseum anyways. Though, I don't really know..." I reluctantly added.

In reality, I didn't want to do that either, but I didn't know if Alma Elma would still be there after what had happened, and regardless we needed the orb that was the tournament's prize.

We couldn't afford to miss it, who knew where it would have ended up otherwise...

Both of my friends looked at me in surprise.

"I thought you didn't enjoy fighting for no reason..." Alice questioned.

"Actually, it's the opposite. I don't mind comparing skills with other people. I do mind fighting for my life when it can be avoided, however." I shrugged.

Alice looked at me curiously, while Luka looked thoughtful.

"Hey, Daniel." he suddenly called out.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Would you spar with me?" Luka requested.

Shit.

"Addendum: I don't mind comparing skills with people around my own skill level. You are definitely way above that." I added fearfully.

"I don't think so." Luka flatly denied.

"Guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree then." I concluded.

He seemingly didn't like that idea much, but we moved on regardless.

~– ~ – ~

After about an hour of silence, another dark presence entered my range.

"At this rate, we'll get to sleep in a soft bed at Grand Noah castle tonight!" Luka said in a happy tone.

I wordlessly hid behind a rock.

"Ah, I'm looking forward to the food at the Coliseum...!" Alice agreed, before startling and hiding as well, as a flower-like plant monster appeared in front of Luka.

"Haha, a delicious looking human appeared. Be happy, because I'm going to suck out your semen for nutrients." the Alraune singsang.

"I won't allow that to happen!" Luka yelled, pulling out his sword, Sylph's wind surrounding him.

Honestly, the battle was ridiculously easy, Sylph's wind blocking everything the flower-like monster threw at Luka.

"Waaa..." the Alraune lamented, as she turned into a small flower.

"Whew... I really think I've gotten a lot better recently." Luka said in satisfaction.

"What are you saying you idiot? Are you really satisfied with that level of skill?" Alice reproached.

"Th... That's not what I was saying... Oi oi, Gnome, don't pick on Sylph too much." Luka trailed off, as Gnome slapped Sylph around again.

God, feeling it happen inside his body was WEIRD...

"Still, I think Daniel could have taken this one. I mean, she didn't even manage to touch me." Luka said.

"I think Sylph may have something to do with that. And don't even think of not using the Spirits' power next time to try and convince me. You do that, and we're through." I declared, lest he got any ideas.

"...Alright. That WOULD be a bit reckless." Luka admitted.

See!? I knew it!

That stupid martyr complex of his needed to get gone...

"Plus, wouldn't Sylph and Gnome be sad if you purposely avoided using their power? You gotta think about them too, they're your friends as well, aren't they?" I chided in a lighter tone.

"You're right. Sorry Sylph, Gnome." Luka said.

Both spirits seemed happy at that.

Alice stared at me again, not saying anything.

We kept going after that.

~– ~ – ~

Along the last stretch to the city, we came across a blonde nun.

I could tell from her aura that she was not human, despite her appearance.

"Oh, you three are quite young for travelers. Would you like to pray with me for safety on your travels?" the sister offered.

"Yes, I would love to." Luka easily agreed.

"Thanks, but I'm good. By the way, you can lose the disguise if you want, we don't discriminate against the diversely-legged." I quipped.

"What?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Oh? I see... You saw through it huh? Well, in that case..." The sister said, as her lower half turned into a snake, showing her true form.

"Whoa!" Luka said, his hand instinctively going to his sword.

"...Please wait. I mean no harm to humans." the sister Lamia declared.

"Eh...? So... Sorry..." Luka sheepishly apologised for his own hasty reaction.

"To be fair, like 90 percent of the monsters we met so far were pretty unfriendly." I shrugged, patting his shoulder sympathetically.

"But why are you disguised as a sister?" Luka asked the Lamia.

"It is no mere disguise. My body and soul are faithful to Goddess Ilias." the sister proudly declared.

"But why would a monster...?" Luka trailed off in confusion.

"Yes, it's true Ilias hates monsters... But even though I am a monster, I want to teach others about her kindness. Though they are few, there are monsters who think as I do." the sister explained.

"I see... I had no idea..." Luka admitted.

"I was on my way to the south to do more missionary work for other monsters. But since I'll be heading to the south, I thought it wise to disguise myself as a human." the Lamia continued.

"It's true you would want to disguise yourself if you're heading south... Wait, 'since you're heading to the south'? Do you not need to disguise here in the north?" Luka inquired.

"It sounds like this is your first time here, travelers. The Noah region is home to many villages and towns, where humans and monsters live together. Of course, there is still some bias and prejudice... But people generally get along." the Lamia elaborated.

"I... I see... I heard the rumors, but I wasn't sure if they were true or not." Luka said in awe.

"Well then, young miss over there. You are a snake type monster too, yes? You have no need for a disguise here." the Lamia told Alice.

"Hmph. I see." Alice neutrally acknowledged.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going. It was a pleasure meeting you two, and may Ilias bless your travels." the sister concluded.

"Thank you. I hope the best for you too." Luka thanked sincerely.

"I don't want Ilias' blessing, you idiot." Alice harshly murmured.

I just silently waved at the Lamia, as she slithered away.

To be honest, I didn't really have anything to say to her.

It would have been cruel to try and shake her faith, despite knowing Ilias' future actions.

And despite everything the Lamia herself would do, I knew she was not evil either.

I wished she would open her eyes, but there really was no way I could do anything about it.

Especially under the Goddess herself's gaze...

I still didn't know what her opinion of me was, but I didn't want to do anything that risked worsening it uselessly.

"So monsters and humans really do still get along here... That makes me really happy..." Luka said in a moved tone.

"Eh, it's not perfect, but I suppose it can count as a work in progress." I shrugged.

"But to think there are even monsters here who follow Ilias..." Alice pondered.

"What's wrong with that?" Luka asked.

"...Whatever. They're free to believe whatever drivel they want. Anyway it will be nice to pass without any hindrances for a change." Alice said, as she dismissed her disguise, her monster form now visible to the world.

"Alright, Let's go!" Luka declared, as we started the last stretch to the town.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we entered the city gates.

"Uwa..." Luka said in wonder, overlooking a scene he had always dreamed of.

Monsters freely walking under the sun in the streets of a human city.

"...To think they're this familiar with each other. I had heard the stories, but I had no idea it went this far." Alice commented, looking around as well.

I just thought it was pretty surreal, but no more than my entire situation.

"It's amazing. The sight of humans and monsters living together..." Luka said in awe.

"...How does it feel, Luka? You're in the presence of your dream world, no? Or... Does it feel anti-climactic to see it already exists?" Alice asked in a curious tone.

"No, it isn't anti-climactic at all. My dream isn't fulfilled until this is a view you would see in every town, city and village in the world." Luka declared.

"Is this like your village was like, Daniel? You must feel pretty at home here huh?" he asked in a happy tone, turning to face me.

"It's nice." I simply replied, a small smile on my face.

I wasn't lying either, such displays of acceptance would be a dream, even back in my world.

Discrimination was universal, and this was quite the spectacle.

Both Luka and Alice looked at me for a second more after that, but I had nothing else to say.

"Let's take a walk around and gather information while we look for a place to stay." Luka proposed, before we started exploring the town.

~– ~ – ~

Some women were pretty excited about watching the Coliseum fights.

I had pretty good idea why...

At least this served to give me Hope Alma Elma would show up like in canon.

Luka needed her to teach him how to use Sylph better, after all.

~– ~ – ~

We learned about the monster causing trouble at Yamatai from a soldier, but, really, there was no doubt we would go there anyways.

~– ~ – ~

As we passed by the tool shop run by an elf, Luka bought Alice the black ribbon she wanted.

They were just so damn cute together...

I inwardly sighed, hoping they would stay that way, even if I messed up later.

~– ~ – ~

A tarantula girl running a sewing shop told us about Plansect village.

I really wasn't looking forward to that debacle...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, Amira showed up with information about Undine.

I silently listened like usual.

By then it was almost evening.

"Alright, let's head to the Inn." Luka declared, as we moved behind him towards a place to stay the night.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, we were inside a room in the local Inn.

"This city is great." Luka declared, as we dropped our stuff down.

"...Honestly, I'm surprised. I thought all humans essentially detested monsters." Alice admitted.

"The Noah region is surrounded by nature and natural beauty in every direction. I'm sure humans and monsters must have been together here since ancient times." Luka posited.

"That may be true... But the further north we go, the stronger the monsters get. Perhaps it was just impossible for the humans to expel the monsters due to the difference in power." Alice pointed out.

"But it doesn't seem like the monsters are in a ruling position over the humans. I get the feeling that the humans here see monsters as just ordinary people." Luka countered.

"Monsters living in a human city seems crazy, anyway. There must be quite a few challenges adapting to being in a human city." Alice commented.

"Even if there are a few issues, it's still a huge step forward. I knew it! It's still possible for coexistence!" Luka proclaimed excitedly.

"Of course it is. There is nothing new under the sun." I said in a sure tone.

"Hmph. That may be true. If this..." Alice trailed off.

"By the way, Alice. Can I ask you something?" Luka suddenly asked.

"...Hmm? What?" Alice voiced out.

"I've ben wondering for a while... What's that flower in your hair? Is it an accessory? Or part of your hair?" Luka inquired.

Right.

This scene.

I resigned myself to my fate of running off into the city that evening as well.

"It's a part of my body. The Monster Lord usually has other lifeforms living with her... But now that you mention it, this flower hasn't had any nutrients for a while..." Alice trailed off, before a disturbing grin appeared on her face.

"...Won't you give this flower some nutrients? Of course, you know what those nutrients are?" she questioned, before winding her tail around Luka.

"Eh? Uwa!" Luka yelped in a familiar manner, as he already started to blush.

"One minute. Go." Alice ordered.

I was already closing the door behind me.

~– ~ – ~

The morning after, we prepared to leave the Inn.

"Hey, Alice. You said you wanted to see the food stands at the Coliseum, right?" Luka suddenly asked.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it, yes." Alice answered neutrally, though her excitedly wagging tail betrayed her true feelings.

"Alright then. Shall we go there?" Luka proposed.

"I'm fine with that." I answered automatically, before I had a thought.

Hmm... Was this how it had went in canon?

I had the feeling he was not supposed to be so decisive about this...

Had I changed something?

We left the hotel a little after that, heading towards the huge stadium we could see towering over the other buildings in the town.

~– ~ – ~

"The tickets are surprisingly expensive..." Luka commented, as we looked for free seats in the stands.

Around us, the audience was almost completely composed of young women.

"This isn't quite the image I was expecting for a Coliseum..." he added in a wry tone.

"Mmm... Delicious. It's full of calories, and it feels like my power is doubling!" Alice said happily, snacking on something from the stands.

"Wow, if that food is good enough to double a Monster Lord's power it's gotta be pretty damn strong. I wonder if it could beat the fighters all on its own..." I quipped in a low whisper.

"Oi, oi... You're already eating?" Luka asked in disbelief, as a woman woth blonde hair and purple eyes wearing glasses, sitting by his side looked at Alice in annoyance.

"I... I'm sorry..." Luka wryly apologised to her on Alice's behalf, as the fighters entered the arena.

I had already felt both their auras from where I was.

Fom one entrance, a Minotauros with a huge axe emerged.

An agile-looking Centaur entered from the other side.

"Ahh... Who's going to win!?" Luka pondered in excitement.

"Well, this is gonna be one-sided." I sighed, noting the difference in their auras.

The Centaur may have had the advantage in speed, but the Minotauros was too powerful for her to take down.

The woman by Luka's side glanced at me with interest for a moment.

"You're right. The Minotauros can't keep up with the Centaur's speed at all... Wait." Luka stopped, as his eyes narrowed, looking at the Minotauros being slowly whittled down by the Centaur's hit-and-run tactics.

"...She's luring her in." he concluded, noticing the Minotauros' plan.

"Yes, so you noticed. She's guarding herself from any serious damage and just inviting a chance." Alice confirmed.

"Inviting...? Excuse me, but what do you mean?" the woman at Luka's side suddenly interjected.

"It looks like she's being attacked without mercy, but she's really just biding her time for a counter attack. She must be incredibly powerful. Her opponent is fast, but fairly feeble... All it will take is a single hit." Luka explained her.

"It looks like the fight is completely in the Centaur's control... But she'll make a mistake in her confidence and be crushed." Alice added.

"Yep. As I said, one-sided. I'd give it about ten seconds more." I predicted.

"...Is that so? I can't see this match as anything but a win for the Centaur..." the woman said, before stopping, as the scene Alice described came true in the arena.

My prediction had been off by about two seconds, however.

I clicked my tongue in slight disappointment.

"Uwa... Is she ok?" Luka said, looking at the Centaur Girl lying on the ground.

"If she were human, she would be dead for sure. But as a monster, she'll be fine. Besides, she's a trained warrior." Alice assured.

I could tell she was right, as the Centaur Girl's aura was stable.

The Minotauros raised her axe victoriously in the air, as the audience cheered.

"My word... It went exactly as you said. Are you two skilled fighters yourselves?"the woman asked.

"He is." I said, pointing at Luka.

"Well, sort of..." Luka said modestly, before noting my words and glaring at me.

"...What?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Hmm. I see." the woman said thoughtfully, stroking her chin.

Then the next fighters entered the arena.

A dullahan wearing skimpy, knight-like armor, and a human man with a giant axe.

"Oh... It's a man against a monster this time..." Luka commented in interest.

The man threw the match in seconds, as I had expected.

The next instant, bright lights filled the arena, and the crowd went wild, vulgar shouts starting to resound around us.

I closed my eyes in distaste.

I had expected it, but really, it was still just that awful...

"Eh...? It can't be..." Luka said in horror.

"...I don't wish to watch this any longer. I would like to speak to you both, if you don't mind." the woman requested, getting up from her seat and beckoning us.

I immediately rose to follow her.

"Y...Yes..." Luka automatically agreed, still shell-shocked.

"Hmm? Are we already leaving?" Alice asked, before sighing and rising as well.

As we walked away, I purposefully turned off my hearing, not wanting to hear the screams.

~– ~ – ~

After a few minutes of walking, Luka startled, as the woman leading us walked through the entrance of the royal castle as if it was her own house.

"Uhm... If we just walk in, won't we get arrested or something...?" he asked worriedly, before a soldier greeted the woman.

"Welcome back, your majesty!" he respectfully bowed.

"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"You're just a magnet for Kings and Queens, aren't you?" I quipped, arching an eyebrow in amazement, as the soldier eyed us suspiciously.

I simply smiled and shrugged.

"They are my guests. Let them pass." the woman ordered.

"Yes! Please step this way." the soldier respectfully said, ushering us in.

"Uhm... Are you by any chance..." Luka timidly started, as we walked the castle's corridors.

"I am the tenth Queen of Grand Noah." the woman confirmed.

"So you are..." Luka trailed off.

"How many Kings and Queens have you yet to meet? There can't be too many left." I quipped.

Luka seemingly ignored me.

As the Queen changed her clothes, we waited in the audience hall, overlooked by a few soldiers.

Finally, she entered the room herself, sitting on her throne.

"...As you saw, our country's proud Coliseum has turned into something horrible. The only ones to win are monsters. Every so often there is a human contestant, but it always ends the same way. Since I took the throne fifteen years ago, there has been no human victor yet. I don't discriminate against monsters... But that fact is depressing." The Queen sighed.

"That is kind of sad..." Luka agreed.

"These days, the monsters even rape the men right after the win. You noticed the spectators of the Coliseum, yes? They don't care about the fight itself. They just like watching females rape men. There are even men that take part in the matches just to be raped! Our once honorable Coliseum has turned into such a horrible thing..." the Queen lamented.

"I see, so that's how it is..." Luka said dejectedly.

"But... If that's what the populace wishes for, I can't stop it. I just wish to see it once... Once every four years, the Queen's cup is held. Just once, I'd like to see a human as the victor... I'm sure you two can see where I'm going with this." The Queen pressed.

"You want one of us to win the Queen's cup?" Luka deduced.

"Yes, that's right. To celebrate the fifteenth year of my coronation, this Queen's cup prize will be the Green Orb handed down through the royal family. I wish to give this to a human warrior... Would you please fulfill my dream?" the Queen pleaded.

"Alright, we'll do it!" Luka agreed.

"Whoa there, if you're competing I..." I started.

"Even if I compete so what? It's not for sure that I'll win. Anything could happen. Didn't you also want to test your skills in the Coliseum before this? Also, the Queen is desperate, would you really refuse to help her achieve her dream? And you said we might need the Orbs later, right?" Luka relentlessly pressed.

I could counter some of his arguments, but the Orb WAS a problem...

I hesitated for just a few seconds, before finally cracking under his gaze.

"Haaah... Damnit. When did you become so good at arguing?" I sighed in annoyance, scratching my head.

"I learned from the best." Luka smugly replied.

Cheeky brat...

"I was under the impression that you were the more experienced fighter among you two... Was I wrong?" the Queen asked in slight confusion.

"Yeah, no, I'm not even remotely a warrior, he's the Hero, not me." I dryly replied.

Again, Luka looked at me in annoyance.

Seriously, what was up with him lately...?

"I see... Anyway, this is wonderful! That makes you the sixth and seventh!" the Queen rejoiced.

"S... Sixth and seventh? So we weren't some unique adventurers catching the Queen's eye...?" Luka trailed off in a slightly disappointed tone.

"She's smart, not putting all her eggs in one basket. As expected from the ruler of such a prosperous kingdom." I praised.

"There's a few days until the Queen's cup. Until then, pease enjoy yourself in my fair city." the Queen kindly offered, smiling at the compliment.

"Yes, thank you!" Luka said gratefully, before we left the castle.

~– ~ – ~

During the following days, we trained in preparation for the tournament.

Luka asked me multiple times to spar with him, but I kept refusing, using excuse after excuse.

Seriously, this was getting worrisome.

I knew what would have happened if we did fight...

But it wasn't even the main reason why I refused.

Only, I knew he wouldn't understand...

I just was too much of a coward to face the real problem.

During that time, I also spoke with the local blacksmith for a small project of mine.

I would make use of it during the fights themselves.

Thankfully it was fairly cheap.

Though, Alice's face when she saw it was a tad worrisome too...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, the day of the Queen's cup arrived.

"It sounds like a match just started... Ah, I wish I could see it." Luka said excitedly, as he paced back and forth in one of the fighters' holding rooms.

The Queen had arranged for us to be put together, seeing as we knew each other anyway.

"Players are unable to watch the matches of their fellow contestants. This is to keep all players on an equal footing, with none getting an unfair advantage by seeing the skills of the other." A staff member explained.

"Yes... I understand." Luka acknowledged.

I pointedly avoided mentioning that I could tell who was fighting from the holding room using my aura sense.

Alma Elma seemingly still had to show up.

After a little while, it was my turn to fight.

"Now then Mr. Daniel, please enter the arena. Good luck." the staff member said.

"Thanks." I simply replied, before getting up from my seat.

Luka was silent, watching me move out of the room with a serious expression.

I sighed deeply as soon as he was out of sight.

I really would not enjoy this...

~– ~ – ~

As I entered the arena, my opponent was already there, waiting for me.

On the other side of the circle stood a man in soldier armor, wielding a normal-looking sword.

I could tell he was disappointed by me not being what he had hoped.

"Ah, come on!? A human fighter!? Just my luck... Well, at least it looks like you're not much prepared. You're not even wearing armor! This is gonna be too easy!" the soldier arrogantly declared, as he drew his sword, alluding at my protective gear's apparent lack of metal reinforcements.

I didn't respond, simply staring at the sharp blade in his hands.

It was the first time I ever faced someone with a weapon.

I had fought monsters, sure, but I had never been alone while doing that, and none of them had ever used weapons.

I expected to feel some anxiety, at least, when faced with that sort of danger...

But instead I felt nothing.

...I truly had changed, huh?

Not only physically, but mentally as well.

I supposed the constant pressure of being together with one of the world's most powerful beings and under the eyes of another one, had at least served to make me accustomed to fear.

I idly noted that Ilias was, in fact, watching my duel as well.

I was more worried about that.

I had no idea what it could have meant.

"What's up with you? Scared, are you?" the soldier mocked.

"I suppose I am..." I sighed in response.

I always was.

However, I could only live with it...

"Hah! Coward! I will end this fight now!" the soldier yelled as he charged me, sword in hand.

I could see his movements like he was in slow motion.

Compared to Luka, he was nothing.

I would gain nothing from prolonging the fight.

As soon as he reached me, I sidestepped his vertical slash, and landed a powerful punch to his stomach.

I held back my strength, just in case.

He still collapsed to the ground, vomiting, falling unconscious a second later.

I made sure he could breathe, before calmly walking away.

The crowd was silent for a moment, before some boohs started resounding through the air.

I could not care less.

~– ~ – ~

"Hey, you're back! So, how did it go?" Luka asked with a smile, as I reentered the holding room.

"Eh, my opponent was really only here for the you-know-what. He was a complete amateur, even I could take him easy." I recounted truthfully.

"So you did win! I knew it!" Luka exclaimed happily.

"Eh, I told you, he really was not there for the fight. I was lucky." I disclaimed.

"...Hmph." Luks scoffed, his cheeks puffing in a childish pout, as a soldier called his name.

"Crap! I gotta go, see you later Daniel!" he yelled back as he left the room.

"Be careful, don't get distracted. And don't hold back, you hear me?" I shouted after him.

I did not hear a reply.

~– ~ – ~

Luka came back after a while, his breath slightly heavier.

I had observed his fight with the Dullahan through my aura sense.

He had beaten her without too much trouble, Sylph's wind protecting him from some of the monster's attacks.

"I'm back!" he said, as he entered the room.

"Good. Ready for the next one?" I asked.

"You betcha!" he replied while giving me a thumbs up.

~– ~ – ~

After a few more fights in which Luka and I did not participate, a familiar powerful aura entered the arena from the sky.

I sighed in relief.

She was here.

I only hoped the fight she would have with Luka would be the same as canon.

~– ~ – ~

Then it was my turn again.

This time, I entered the arena first, the audience booing at my appearance.

I let them.

From the other side of the arena, a monster's aura approached.

She appeared to be a beast-type of some sort, with brown fur covering most of her body, and canine-like ears on top of her head.

Was she a Wolf Girl or something along those lines?

I did not remember her from canon...

Still, her aura wasn't too powerful, thankfully.

The crowd went wild, cheering on the monster, wanting to see my humiliation.

"Waah! You're a handsome one! I'll enjoy this!" the Wolf Girl excitedly said.

"Bit hasty, dontcha think?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh? You're actually here to duel? Interesting! I like to fight for my meal!" the monster declared, assuming a fighting stance.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you... After I knock you down, that is!" the monster finished, as she charged me.

She obviously was much quicker than the soldier had been.

But I still was faster.

I dodged her first strike, ducking under it, and retaliating with a blow to the chin.

The Wolf Girl dodged backwards, but I altered the trajectory of my blow mid-flight, hitting her anyways, having predicted her movement.

She quickly jumped back with her powerful legs, making some distance.

"Hoo... You're not too bad. But you've seen nothing yet!" the monster warned, before starting to run around me, much faster than before, using all four limbs.

Judging my kinetic vision to be insufficient, I shut down my sight, even while keeping my eyes open, smell and taste having been inactive since I had entered the arena.

As she was behind me, the Wolf Girl suddenly changed course, trying to tackle me from the back.

I jumped over her charge, curling my knees inward.

"Eh?" she dumbly let out, as I extended my legs, my feet planting themselves on her back, my weight pushing her to the ground.

"Ouch!" she yelped, accusing the blow.

I idly remembered reading somewhere that the back was a wolf's weak point.

I finished the fight with a palm strike on her head, planting her face on the ground.

After checking that she was going to be fine, I let the staff carry her away, as I left the arena.

The crowd seemingly had mixed reactions to my performance this time.

I still didn't really care.

"How was it?" Luka asked, as I reentered the room.

"Tough. Much more than the first opponent." I replied.

"Really? Who did you fight?" Luka asked.

"A Wolf Girl. She was pretty quick on her feet. Or should I say paws?" I quipped.

"See! You beat a monster on your own! I knew you could do it!" Luka said happily.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. I had to go at it seriously." I disclaimed.

Again, Luka pouted silently.

~– ~ – ~

His second match started soon after that, his opponent a normal human soldier, like my first adversary.

He defeated the man in seconds.

~– ~ – ~

Alma Elma also beat her opponent handily, enjoying her "reward" after.

I desperately wished I could turn off my damn aura sense...

If only I could have just figured out what I did back at Port Natalia...

~– ~ – ~

After that, it was my turn again.

My opponent was a familiar Minotauros I had watched fight a few days before.

"It's your lucky day, punk. I'm going to enjoy squeezing you dry." the monster declared.

"Well, maybe I AM lucky, but not for the reason you think." I disclaimed.

"Hoo? Why is it then?" she inquired curiously.

"Well, first of all, I happened to be spectating on your match with the Centaur Girl the other day, so, sorry, but I already know what you're capable of. Secondarily, I can tell you're planning to hold back your strenght so that I don't die, which, regardless of your reasons, I'm thankful for. Lastly, I happen to have on me a countermeasure for your durability." I explained, as I pulled out my little project and wore it on my hands.

They were basically just metallic half-gauntlets, covering only the back of my hand and fingers, leaving the inside empty.

They were mostly meant to increase the impact of my fists, and the reinforced knuckles were not sharp in any way.

The inside was uncovered, to increase both ease of movement and friction, since my new technique relied on grasping the opponent.

"What are you wearing? Could you only afford half of a pair of gauntlets? Is that why you're not wearing armor?" the Minotauros asked pityfully.

"Eh, armor's too heavy. I rather like NOT getting hit." I quipped.

"That is not for you to decide!" the Minotauros shouted, as she started the battle with a powerful swing of her axe, thankfully using the blunt side.

I had already shut off all my senses except from touch and hearing as soon as she had moved.

I weaved around her blow, using the momentum to land a backhand to her face.

She tanked that, as I expected, and tried to grab me with her free arm.

Instead of retreating, I stepped into her range, launching a punch to her solar plexus, the impact augmented by her own inertia and my reinforced half-gauntlets.

She recoiled at the unexpected blow, but recovered soon after, trying to grab me with both arms this time.

However, her hands seemed to pass through my form, as I retreated fast enough to leave an afterimage.

"What?" she dumbly let out, as she saw her fingers grasp nothing more than a mirage, as I used my technique again, quickly moving to her back in a blur, and punching her again.

This time, I did not hold anything back, however.

The Minotaurus flew forward more than five meters, rolling on the ground, her axe left behind.

She managed to slow her momentum at the last second before impacting the wall.

I was inwardly scared at just how far she had flew, and thankful for her resilience as she got back up.

"What the hell was that!? How can a human punch that hard!?" the monster yelled in disbelief, wincing slightly at the pain.

"My mom's a monster. I'm somewhat unique." I untruthfully provided.

"I see... Then, I won't hold back either!" the Minotaurus declared, as her aura surged.

She was nothing compared to a Heavenly Knight, but she was no slouch either.

I sighed in concentration, preparing myself for the following onslaught by turning off all senses except touch.

She charged me again, throwing punch after punch, the power behind them enough to kill any normal man.

I used my footwork and arms to avoid all of them, occasionally retaliating with a quick jab, concentrating on her chin.

However, she had been smart in her positioning.

Suddenly, she dove backwards, grabbing her axe before charging again, posed in an overhead swing.

Finally, the perfect opening.

I used Broken shadow to suddenly appear before her, making her start her swing in surprise, trying to hit me before I hit her.

That wasn't my plan, however.

Instead, I turned my back to her, as my right arm shot towards her neck grasping it from below, even as I slid under her, knocking one of her legs behind her with my own, and pulling her to the ground with all my strenght, her own momentum empowering the move as she hit the ground, the floor itself cracking from the impact, throwing dust all around us.

As the dust dissipated, the unconscious form of the Minotaur became visible, with me standing behind her.

I will freely admit I felt like a badass for pulling off such a stunt.

Though my knees still felt like jello for a few seconds...

I checked the Minotauros' condition, her aura stable, though she was out cold.

Perfect.

Suddenly, the crowd erupted in cheers, startling me as I had already reactivated my other senses.

Well, that was nice of them.

I left the arena soon after that.

~– ~ – ~

"The crowd sounded real happy at that one. Who did you fight?" Luka asked me, as I entered the room.

"Eh, another monster, she really gave me a run for my money, one good blow and I would have been done." I said, my breathing still a tad hard.

"Wow, that sounds tough. What kind of monster was she?" he inquired.

"A Minotauros. Really resilient too, without Alice's training I would have been screwed." I sighed.

Luka was silent at that.

"What? She was. I even had to use my new technique to take her down." I complained.

"I see..." Luka drawled, before a staff member called him out for his next match.

~– ~ – ~

His opponent was another unremarkable soldier, though he was likely more motivated than most other opponents.

He defeated him without too much trouble, returning to the waiting room soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Hey. Still in the game, huh?" I asked conversationally.

"Yeah. There shouldn't be that many matches left, I think. I wonder who my next opponent is going to be..." Luka trailed off, as I wondered if my presence here didn't mean he would be facing Alma before the finals.

~– ~ – ~

That worry was assuaged by Alma entering the arena again soon after, making quick 'work' of her opponent...

~– ~ – ~

After a few minutes, a staff member called me out again.

As I entered the arena, however, I paused, noting that at the other side of it, a familiar aura approached.

Standing before me...

Was a purple-haired boy wearing a red cape.

...Well, at least it wasn't Alma Elma, I inwardly sighed in relief.

"Seems like I was unlucky, huh? I sort of hoped to last a little more maybe... Oh well." I shrugged, starting to raise my hand to forfeit, but Luka's next words stopped me cold.

"...Do you really look down on me that much? Do you think I am that weak?" he asked in a pained tone, my movements freezing.

"Of course not! What the hell are you talking about!?" I incredulously demanded.

"I already know you're better than me, there is no need to sugarcoat it! I could never do the things you do, you are smarter, stronger, and more talented than I am, and I know it! I am not so fragile that I couldn't accept reality!" he furiously lashed out.

"That's not it!" I protested.

"Then why do you refuse to accept that you are not weak either!? Why do you refuse to fight me!?" he demanded.

"Because I AM weak! And I lied, alright, but I never looked down on you!" I disclaimed.

"THEN WHY!?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT US TO HURT EACH OTHER, YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND DAMNIT!" I finally cracked, revealing my true thoughts for once.

"...Huh?" Luka dumbly let out, looking taken aback at my outburst.

I looked away from him, gritting my teeth, my fists tight.

"I don't fight friends. Ever. I hate the thought of friends harming one another, no matter the reason. I don't care if that makes me an insensitive idiot. I don't care if it makes me even weaker. It's fine to play games where one wins or loses. It's fine to joke around and tease one another. It's even fine to fight with words if needed. But I can't stand the idea of physically wounding or being wounded by a friend." I ground out.

"...Daniel, I..." Luka started.

"I lied to you, yes. I shouldn't have done that. I realized it from the start. I knew this was a possibility. I just was too much of a coward to face the problem. To face my own damn issues. I know this is illogical. That if we sparred from time to time, it would only help us both improve. But I didn't care. I just couldn't accept it." I concluded.

I didn't mention I also had trouble accepting the fact my best friend was a literal shota protagonist.

My life was SO goddamn weird...

"...Am I really your best friend?" Luka asked in a dazed voice after a few seconds of silence.

"Of course you are, who else do you see taking that role? Alice is basically a sister to me at this point. And you are the brother I never had." I confessed.

I had always wanted a brother too, and my real little sister hated my guts.

"Hehehehehe... That makes me happy..." Luka chuckled, a silly smile on his face, blushing lightly.

"Stop with that creepy laugh! You're making this weird! Anyway, I forfeit!" I yelled in embarassment, leaving the arena.

Luka didn't try to stop me this time.

The audience erupted in cheers a second after, my embarassment growing even more.

I really regretted not doing this in a more private setting...

~– ~ – ~

Since I was now out of the competition, I joined Alice on the stands.

I noted she was hiding her aura despite her lack of disguise, likely because of other monsters possibly noticing her in the crowd.

"Hey. Scoot over, make some space." I requested, as her tail was occupying all the space I could sit on.

She looked at me for a moment, noticing I had arrived only after hearing my voice, and wordlessly acquiesced.

"Thank you." I said, before sitting beside her.

I was really glad my cloak had changed colors beween the arena and the stands, letting the crowd miss my presence.

That thing was worth its weight in gold.

"...Did you really mean what you said?" Alice finally asked, after a minute or so of staying silent.

"Every word. I may be a selfish pragmatist, but I'm not emotionless. Even I have my own illogical moments." I stated, not even looking at her, as two soldiers faced each other in the arena.

They were actually fairly decent fighters.

Probably both people the Queen had recruited...

"...I see..." Alice simply said, turning her own gaze back to the match.

My aura sense told me she was less than fully relaxed, however.

~– ~ – ~

The following matches were all pretty uninteresting, and I left the area every time a monster beat a human man, aware of what would happen afterwards.

When Alma Elma herself came to her fights, I hid myself, not trusting my ability to leave the arena unnoticed.

Appaently, she hadn't noticed Alice, as she never looked at the stands much.

I REALLY wished I could turn off my damn aura sense when she inevitably won her fights...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, Luka won the battle against the Cerberus like in canon, using the power of Gnome.

"You're quite powerful, human. We didn't think we could stand up to Kyuba... But to think we would be defeated by a human in the semi-finals..." the Cerberus commented.

"Is this Kyuba girl really that strong?" Luka asked her.

"...You're about as strong as one of her teeth. I've fought her once before... She's on a totally different level." the monster concluded, as Luka adopted a thoughtful expression and left the arena.

Me and Alice moved to find him soon after that, having seen Alma Elma advancing to the finals easily.

~– ~ – ~

"I'm coming in..." Alice said, as we entered Luka's waiting room.

"Alice? Daniel? What are you guys doing here?" Luka asked curiously.

"The semi-final fight was pretty good. Your skills have improved quite a lot." Alice praised, making Luka adopt a suspicious expression.

"Ah... Thanks..." he said uncomfortably, obviously off-put.

"The next fight... You should forfeit." Alice finally declared.

"...What!?" Luka questioned indignantly.

"Sorry, but I agree. I'm not looking down on your improvements, but this is not a fight you can win." I said with certainty.

"Even you, Daniel...? So... You must have seen this Kyuba girl fight already. What you're saying is... I stand no chance against her?" Luka questioned dejectedly.

"I've watched you fight for a long time. This next opponent, you would struggle to even match one of her teeth. Therefore I came to urge you to forfeit." Alice flatly replied.

"...No, I'm not going to forfeit." Luka said resolutely.

"Haah... I thought you'd say that. At the very least, do me a favour... When you see her, don't go crazy. Always keep a clear head." I pleaded.

"What?" Luka asked in confusion.

"...I see. Well, I just thought I'd come and say that." Alice said, sighing deeply in resignation.

"...Don't worry, Alice. If she's really that much stronger than I am, I'll surrender." Luka assured.

"Sheesh... Well, good luck. Try not to break." Alice requested, leaving the room.

"He won't. I trust him. See you later, Luka." I concluded before following her.

~– ~ – ~

This time, when Alma Elma appeared, I did not hide.

I would support my friend, no matter my cowardice.

"Y...You!?" Luka voiced out in disbelief, looking at his opponent.

"...Ara, if it isn't Luka-boy. Meeting in a place like this... Wait. If you're here... Eh...?" Alma Elma stopped, as she started looking around in the stands, quickly finding Alice and me.

Then she blushed furiously.

What?

"You can't be... Kyuba!? Why are you... What the heck are you plotting!?" Luka demanded, but the Succubus seemingly ignored him, still staring fixedly in me and Alice's direction.

Huh?

"Oi! Answer me!" Luka demanded, yelling even louder.

Finally, Alma Elma turned to look at him, recollecting herself with a small cough.

"Ara... I'm not plotting anything. Honestly... I just love grappling in hand to hand combat." she singsang.

"Techniques and skills collide... Body parts mingle and mix and get entangled... Hehehe, isn't it just fantastic?" she drawled in a dreamy tone, her blush deepening.

"Well then... Forget all your troubles, and have some fun in a match against me. Right now, let's just forget the Heavenly knight and the Hero thing..." she trailed off, leaning towards Luka, exposing her ample bosom.

"As if! Don't you remember what you did to my friend!? I will defeat you!" Luka said, as Sylph's power started surging through him, begging him to be released.

"Ara... Talking to Sylphy? How about you show me what you can do with that wind power...?" Alma Elma requested.

"Uooooo!" Luka yelled, as wind started surging around him.

"Here I come... I'm going to catch you." Alma playfully sang, as she flew towards Luka, before being rebuffed by the small tornado.

"Hmmm... So, Luka-boy uses his wind like that... But that's no good. If you use that strong power like that, the wind will cry you know?" she said in a pitiful tone.

Luka swung his sword, but the Succubus deftly moved out of the way.

"Look... It's this simple to break down the wall of wind." the Succubus Queen said, before putting her palm below her chin and blowing softly, as her energy surged against Luka's wind barrier, completely erasing it.

"N...No way... My wall of wind..." Luka stammered.

"Didn't I tell you? Something like that is barely a breeze to me. Here... Your penis wants me to touch it, doesn't it?" Alma Elma teased, as she blew apart the wind barrier and massaged Luka through his pants, making Luka grimace, even as he swung again, missing the Succubus by inches as she danced away.

"Aha... Not good enough, eh Luka-boy? Hehe... Should I get a little bit serious?" the Succubus said playfully, before quickly approaching Luka, and licking his groin slowly once, leaving behind a small trail of saliva.

Luka slashed at her again, but she moved away in a burst of speed once more, giggling all the while.

"Luka-boy, can't you hear the wind...? The wind is crying since you're being so forceful... You can't force it to do anything. You have to play with it..." Alma Elma advised gently.

"Eh...?" Luka said dumbly, taken aback by her tone.

"The wind is very whimsical, you know... If you try to use it like a tool, it will just pass you by. Instead of that, just give yourself over to it and join it for the ride... Just like me... I'm always playing..." the Succubus elaborated.

"Playing with the wind? Be like you? Don't joke around! Why would I want to listen to you, after what you did!?" Luka said in an angry tone.

I felt my heart stop, blood freezing in my veins.

It wasn't supposed to go like this.

It couldn't.

If Luka refused to listen, Alma Elma would...

"I haven't forgotten. Not even for a single moment. I will always regret it. It was my life's biggest mistake. The debt I owe him is something I will never be able to repay." Alma Elma replied in the most serious voice I had ever heard from her, derailing my train of thought completely.

Huh?

"Eh...?" Luka let out, taken aback by the Succubus' unexpected reply.

"That's why I'm serious with my advice. He saved my life. No, he did more than just that... I won't change my way of life, but I won't take his friend from him. That is not to say I will make it easy for you to make me do what you want, however..." Alma Elma disclaimed, back to her playful self.

Luka was silent at that for a few seconds, before closing his eyes in concentration.

Suddenly his shoulders relaxed, as Sylph's power dissipated momentarily.

"I think... I get it..." he said, as Sylph's wind started moving again.

But this time the feeling was different.

"Summon a gale itself into my body...!" Luka spoke, as the winds surrounded him like armor, his movements accompanied by a strong, concentrated breeze.

"Th...This is...!" he stammered in awe.

"Hehe, so you can do it, Luka-boy. That's how you play with the wind..." Alma Elma smiled, before swiftly trying to touch Luka again.

However, Luka moved with the gale, and dodged swiftly.

"...I finally understand it... The wind has been speaking to me all this time..." he spoke in a solemn voice.

"Arara, your true self is shining through, Luka-boy. You're quite skilled in your use of the wind..." Alma Elma commented, as Luka tried to slash her again.

However, moving even faster than before, the monster dodged the blow.

"What was with that movement!?" Luka said in disbelief at his opponent's speed.

"But it's the same result... Your attack can't reach me... Arara... If neither of us can hit the other, I guess we're stuck..." the Succubus stated.

"It seems like it..." Luka agreed thoughtfully.

"...I guess it's my loss then. Just for you, I'll hand over the prize." Alma Elma singsang.

"Wh... What!?" Luka stammered in confusion.

"...So, I surrender. Luka-boy... Congratulations on your victory." the Succubus praised, as she gave up the fight.

"What do you mean!?" Luka demanded, unsatisfied at the match's lack of a clear conclusion.

"I've already had a lot of fun today. You've been working hard too, Luka-boy. See you!" Alma Elma waved at him, as she flew away from the arena.

Before leaving, however, she glanced at me and Alice once more, her cheeks reddening again, as she touched her forehead, her eyes slightly glazed over.

Huh?

Then she disappeared in a gust of powerful wind.

"Equal... Yeah right... What happened to the competitive match!?" Luka yelled in frustration, before he left the arena, accompanied by the audience's cheering.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, the Queen received us in the castle's audience room once more.

"Since taking the throne, I have never experienced such happiness... To think a warrior appeared who was able to win!" The Queen of Grand Noah spoke in a moved tone.

"...Thank you." Luka said automatically, despite his inner turmoil.

"Now, for the presentation of the prize. Our royal treasure, the Green Orb... Please accept it." the Queen requested, as a servant offered Luka the green jewel sitting on a velvet cushion.

"Ah... Yes..." Luka acquiesced, taking the gem and putting it in his bag silently.

"If you are in the area again, please stop by the castle. I'll always welcome the Hero who fulfilled my dream and his friends." the Queen kindly offered.

"I will. If you'll excuse me..." Luka said, before bowing respectfully, and leaving the room.

I silently did the same.

~– ~ – ~

"I'll congratulate you for now. But you're still not good enough, so don't get all full of yourself. I don't want to hear that creepy laugh you... It looks like you are not in that kind of mood." Alice started as we entered the town, before noticing Luka's somber expression.

"Yeah... It doesn't feel like I won at all." Luka admitted in a dejected voice.

"Oh, come on, I think you did pretty good anyway! I seriously doubt I could match your speed now, even with my techniques." I said, trying to cheer him up a bit.

"...I have to get stronger." Luka declared resolutely.

"Yes, so get the rest of the Spirits. Get them all together and master their power. If you can synergize them together, you'll gain some real strenght... If you do that, you'll be at the same level as the four Heavenly Knights... Probably." Alice concluded, despite her tone becoming unsure at the end of the last sentence.

"...Probably?" Luka deadpanned.

"It all depends on you. If you give the most powerful force in the universe to an idiot, he'd probably just kill himself with it." Alice shrugged.

"That's true... Alright, I'll do my best!" Luka declared, having overcome his depression.

"For the record, you're definitely more talented than I am, I only am stronger than you when you're not using Gnome's power, and you're WAY smarter than I am, you just don't use your brain enough. That quick math you did back in Iliasburg in front of the Sutherland Inn? That shit was fucking impressive." I deadpanned.

"Eh... Isn't that normal? Math isn't hard..." Luka said uncomfortably.

"Not in the least, rain man." I quipped.

"Rain man...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Nevermind..." I sighed.

Seriously, I missed the internet...

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, we started walking towards our next objective.

I was already craving some good sushi.


	33. Chapter 33: Food and fluff

"Alright, how about we try going to Yamatai village?" Luka proposed, as we left the town.

"Hmm hmm... That sounds good... Especially the 'onigiri' and 'soba' part..." Alice agreed in a dreamy tone.

"If you guys don't hurry up, I'm leaving you behind!" I yelled out from a little ways ahead of them.

I. Wanted. Sushi.

I. Needed. Sushi.

"When did he even move that far!? He was right here a second ago!? Hey, wait!" Luka startled, as he ran ahead to reach me.

~– ~ – ~

"According to the map, this is where we cross the mountain..." Luka pondered after a few more minutes of walking, looking at the chart depicting the area we were in.

"I'm fine no matter the enviroment, but are you two prepared?" Alice questioned, glancing at me.

"I should be fine. The cold never bothered me much, unlike the heat. And, really the problem back in Sabasa was the continuous change in temperature. As long as it's constantly hot or cold, I can deal with it." I shrugged.

"That's right... Gear for mountain climbing..." Luka muttered, starting to rummage through his backpack.

However, suddenly, an old man crossing our path interrupted him.

"Oh, you three. Heading to Yamatai?" the old man asked.

"Yes, I'm getting stuff ready for mountain climbing..." Luka replied.

"Hahaha, you don't need anything like that. I just came back from buying some vegetables from Yamatai. Even an old man like me can cross it in a day." the elder helpfully provided.

"I see..." Luka said, before closing his backpack up, thanking the old man and walking away together with Alice and me, heading towards the mountains.

Of course, I should have known better.

But I was too distracted by my addicton to delicious fish corpses to think about it.

~– ~ – ~

"Uhyaaa!" Luka exclaimed, as he almost sank completely in a bank of snow almost as tall as him.

"Hmph. Snow, eh?" Alice said neutrally, but her tail wagging excitedly betrayed her true feelings once again.

"Alice... Is this the first time seeing snow?" Luka asked her.

"...That's right. But I'm not some child that would get excited at it." Alice declared, still wagging her tail.

Silence reigned for a few moments.

"...It's fine if you want to play in it." Luka finally said, right before a couple of snowballs hit Alice in the face.

During the whole conversation, I had been preparing ammo hidden behind a tree.

My mantle was now white thanks to its enchantment.

I was ready for war.

Alice looked completely dumbstruck for a moment.

Another snowball fell on top of her from above, as I had thrown it at an angle.

This time she was ready.

She blurred to the side to avoid it, looking around for me, while making snowballs herself with both hands and tail.

I ran out of cover, quickly throwing a flurry of white bullets at her, only hitting a couple, before she noticed me and threw her own back.

I ducked under the first, and grabbed the second mid-flight, quickly throwing it back.

Then we started an all-out conflict, as we ran ahead.

I used every technique she had thought me to fight back against her superior physique, but she was still overwhelming.

Luka just looked at the battle dumbfounded, until we both left him behind.

We played around like that for hours, as I applied a great variety of tactics, and Alice countered with her own, both of us laughing the whole time.

I had always loved snow.

Unfortunately, my hometown was mostly devoid of it.

It had been years since my last snowball fight.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we noticed the sun going down.

"Woah, when did the weather start changing like this?" I asked, finally noticing the blizzard starting to rage around us.

Thankfully, I barely felt the cold.

"The climate is unstable at this altitude. We should probably head back." Alice proposed.

"I agree. Wait, where's Luka?" I noted, finally noticing he hadn't followed us.

Man, I really had gotten into it, huh?

"How should I know? He probably got lost." Alice said neutrally.

I avoided pointing out the fact we were probably the lost ones from his perspective.

"Well, that's the direction we came from, so he should probably be around that way. Let's go." I proposed, as we started moving, retracing our steps.

"You managed to keep track of where we are even during all that?" Alice questioned.

"It would be harder for me not to. It's not like I can turn off my aura sense. Seriously, sometimes it's just so annoying knowing exactly where everything is..." I trailed off.

"What do you mean everything?" Alice asked in confusion.

"I mean everything. Every animal, every tree, every rock... They're just always there, you know?" I said in annoyance.

Alice looked at me like she just had a heart attack.

"What... Did you say?" she asked in a breathless tone.

"It's just so tiring always being so aware of everything. I could count the number of leaves on a tree without even looking at it. It's basically impossible to me to lose direction like that." I sighed.

Alice didn't say anything for a few seconds, just looking at me like I was some kind of terrifying monster.

Again, ironic.

"Y... You... Can feel... The energy of the world itself?" she finally stammered in what seemed like... Awe?

"Uhm... I guess? It's really more like I can't NOT feel it. You for example leave behind so much dark energy it's almost like you dye your surroundings with it, but it really doesn't interact with the rest of the flow of elemental energies. It also doesn't seem to move around all that much, at least compared to the other energy types... Wait, you can't feel it? I thought your senses were about as good as mine seeing as our range is similar..." I asked in confusion.

"What kind of senses do you even have!? Only spirits themselves and those they form a contract with can feel the energy of the world so precisely, and even then, only the one of the element they are bound to! You're telling me that you can sense energy better than even a Spirit!?" Alice roared in absolute disbelief.

"I... Didn't know that." I dumbly let out, my expression a tad frightful at her sudden outburst.

"Y...You...!" Alice stammered again, pointing at me with a shaky hand, before seemingly giving up, and sighing loudly, dropping her head down low.

"Uhm... Are you okay?" I asked in a concerned tone, looking wryly at her.

She finally raised her head, looking at me with an exhausted expression.

"I don't even know what to think at this point. It's like your existance was tailor-made to NOT make sense. Do you have any idea how frustrating you and your impossibilities are? Wait. Don't answer that. Let's just... Move on." she finished, shaking off her irritation and starting to slither away.

I followed behind her, looking a bit sheepish.

Inwardly, I sighed in relief that she had just dropped the matter.

I couldn't explain the truth, not yet...

~– ~ – ~

We walked in the blizzard for some time, before I noted Luka's aura at the edge of my perception.

He was still walking, but his condition was all but good.

I blurred forward, shouting at Alice to follow me, running at my fastest speed.

How had I forgotten about this!?

I had barely even felt the cold, probably because of my body having adapted to harsh climates back in Sabasa.

But Luka was still human, as long as he wore his ring.

He could have died from it.

"Luka!" I called out, as I neared his position.

"Daniel...?" he weakly voiced, sounding exhausted, before collapsing forward.

"Shit! Alice, he's down! We gotta get him somewhere warmer!" I shouted over the blizzard, as I picked him up from the snow.

"We can't make a fire under this blizzard... We have to move out of it." Alice declared.

"Alright. Help me cover him with the tent's covers, I'll carry him down the mountain." I requested.

"...Alright." Alice acquiesced, before assisting me in rolling Luka up in the heavy, insulated cloth.

Then I affixed him on my back with ropes, carrying my backpack on the front.

It wasn't too heavy a load, despite the encumbrance.

"Ready. I wanna move fast, so that we can focus on treating him ASAP. You up for a sprint?" I asked Alice.

"Do what you think is best. I can follow your speed easily." she assured.

"Ok. Let's get off this mountain." I concluded, before starting to run forward at a good pace.

Obviously, I couldn't move at full speed, as I didn't want to be too rough on my friend, despite his protection.

I felt his slow breath on my shoulder all the way down the mountainside.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we were out of the snow, and I started massaging Luka's body to warm him up proper.

Thanfully, he was resilient, and despite a mild frostbite in some parts, he was fine the morning after.

I idly wondered if this was also part of his heritage.

"...Where am I?" Luka asked, as he opened his eyes, looking at the leaves above him, as he rested under a tree.

In the meantime, I was already preparing somthing for him to drink.

"Sheesh, the Hero got stranded in the snow. What a pathetic Hero you are." Alice scoffed.

"Here. Drink this. You must be thirsty." I said, as I passed my friend a cup full of fresh water.

"Alice.. Daniel... You guys saved me...?" Luka asked, before accepting the cup from my hands and slowly sipping it.

"It was Daniel who found you and carried you down the mountain. If you want to thank someone, thank him."Alice disclaimed.

"Is that so? Then thank you, Daniel. You saved my life." Luka said sincerely.

"Don't mention it. If anything I should be asking for your forgiveness. I completely got distracted and left you behind." I said in a mortified tone.

"It's okay, you both came back in time. Just try to pay a bit more attention in the future ok? It's not like you to lose track of me instead." Luka quipped.

I just nodded wordlessly, still feeling terrible.

"Anyway, it looks like that's Yamatai village over there. Let's hurry up and go!" Luka declared, as he got up, looking at a settlement in the distance.

"Before that, let's eat. All that's left is some dried fish." Alice proposed.

"I do feel pretty hungry... Hmm...?" Luka stopped, as the monster that had been observing us for a little while closed in from the bush she was in, looking at the fish he had pulled out from his bag.

"Wh...What?" Luka startled, looking at the cat-like monstergirl with white fur and a split tail exiting a bush.

I idly noted she had heterochromia.

"Nya." the Nekomata meowed, looking hungrily at the food.

"...Do you want this?" Luka asked her.

The monster meowed back in confirmation.

"I'm sorry, but this is all we have... I can't give you any." Luka said in a sorry tone.

The Nekomata immeditely hissed in rage, as she pounced him.

"Wah! What are you doing!?" Luka said, pulling out his sword.

I decided to leave this one to him, moving behind a tree, still ready to intervene if necessary.

Luka immediately summoned Gnome, aware of the beast-type monster's strenght, as the Nekomata quickly pawed at his crotch, trying to lower his pants.

Luka slashed at her, but the cat did not back off, starting to lick him with her rough tongue.

She was forced to move away when Luka used a Death Sword Chaos Star to start shredding her defenses, hissing as she jumped back.

Then she aggressively pounced on Luka, pushing him down, readying herself for the act.

Luka immediately used Gnome's power to shake her off, throwing her backwards, as she meowed in surprise.

The battle was over soon after that, Luka finishing his opponent with a Demon Decapitation.

"Funya...!" the Nekomata meowled weakly, as her body turned into a small kitten.

I liked cats...

"To think a monster would attack this close to the village... Hmm...?" Luka stopped, as he noted the kitten was not running away, instead laying on his feet.

"Must... Resist... Petting... Urges..." I ground out as I walked out of hiding, my left hand holding my trembling right one back.

"It looks like you're finished... Hmm? That kitten..." Alice said with a small smile, drawing closer to the suddenly frightened cat.

"Don't eat her, Alice!" Luka pleaded.

"...You idiot, did you really think I would do that?" Alice said indignantly, as the kitten ran away.

"My fluff..." I weakly voiced in a sad tone.

"...Do you guys like cats...?" Luka asked.

"...J...Just as much as anyone else would..." Alice said neutrally.

"I love animals in general. Cats are among my favourites. So cute, but so deadly..." I said, thinking back on all the times I had gotten scratched in the past trying to pet one.

So worth it.

"I see..." Luka trailed off, as we moved down the path to the village.

I was already salivating at the thought of delicious oriental food.

~– ~ – ~

As we approached the entrance, two elves dressed in skimpy japanese-styled outfits appeared in front of us.

One of them wore some samurai-like armor, with two katanas hanging at her waist, her black hair tied in a topknot.

The other one wore a light outfit with many visible throwing weapons, a red scarf swaying in the wind behind her, and a facemask covering the lower half of her face, a small tanto on her back.

"Two faces I have not seen before...!" the Samurai Elf started.

"We will not allow hostile strangers into our land." the Kunoichi Elf concluded, as they both assumed a fighting stance.

"Wait a second, please! We're just going to Yamatai village..." Luka started.

"To Yamatai village, you say? Then you're going to have to go through us first!" the samurai declared.

"Oi." I called out, making both allies and enemies instictively turn to me, as the sound of my voice resounded through the air.

"Are you saying you're going to get in my way to eat sushi?" I asked in a calm voice, my face a picture of perfect stillness.

"What?" the Elves both asked in a confused chorus, blinking a couple of times.

"You are, aren't you? You want to stop me from getting to the sushi. I cannot allow that." I spoke quietly, as I took a step towards them, my expression still perfectly calm, my head slightly tilted sideways.

The monsters' eyes widened, and they hastily took a fearful step back.

"What the hell!? What are you!?" the Kunoichi Elf frightfully asked, as she scrambled for her weapons.

The Samurai drew one of her swords, grasping it with two hands in a kendo stance, her hands trembling ever so slightly.

I simply tilted my head a little more, before speaking again.

"Unforgivable... To keep me from my sushi... Unforgivable!" I roared, my expression and tone slowly becoming outright demonic.

The Elves' movements froze, looking at me like deers in the headlights.

I started stepping towards them both again, before Luka hugged me from behind.

"Run!" he yelled out, making the two monsters startle, as they shook off their terror a bit and looked each other in the eyes for a second.

The moment after that, they both scrambled towards the village in the distance.

I looked at their retreating forms, my hunger-induced madness slowly subsiding.

I loudly exhaled, as the last of it disappeared, my sanity returning.

"You can let me go any minute now, Luka." I deadpanned, as he still hugged me from behind, slightly shivering.

"...Are you really back to normal?" he asked in a quivering voice.

"...Ok, so I may have a slight addiction to sushi... It's not that big a deal..." I wryly confessed.

"You looked like you wanted to eat THEM. And not in the way monsters usually do." Luka claimed.

"...I may have a problem with hunger management. I haven't eaten anything today. There's a reason I was how I was when we first met." I elaborated.

"Isn't it usually called anger management?" Luka questioned.

"Yes. Except when it's about food." I disclaimed.

"I see... And here I thought, Alice was the greatest glutton alive." Luka whispered the last part.

"How rude. I just know how to appreciate food is all." Alice scoffed, as she reappeared before us.

"Still, we should probably be prepared for their reinforcements. They looked like they were protecting the village from outsiders." she warned.

"They'd better let Luka talk next time." I said, a trace of my previous anger influencing my tone.

"...Let's just go." Luka concluded, as we moved forward.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we reached Yamatai village.

I was already salivating.

"So this is Yamatai village..." Luka said in wonder, looking over the japanese-styled village, with rice growing in the fields, and a peaceful atmosphere.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm. What to eat..." Alice sang happily, looking forward to the local delicacies almost as much as I was.

"...Hey! Why aren't you in human form!?" Luka exclaimed, noting Alice had not disguised herself.

"Don't worry. Look over there." Alice said, pointing to another Nekomata walking down the street, no one seemingly bothered by her presence.

"Oh! Mighty cat!" an old man said, clapping twice in prayer facing the monster.

"Mighty cat! Thank you! Here, look!" an old woman said, feeding a fish to the happy cat-girl.

Luka looked silently at the scene, before turning back to the now suddenly crowded Alice.

"...Hey! Alice!" he yelled worriedly at the sudden develpoment, before an old man spoke up.

"Oh! Mighty Snake!" he prayed.

"Mighty Snake! Thank you! Here... Ah... What do Might Snakes eat again?" an old woman questioned.

"...You start with soba." Alice provided, her expression satisfied, as her tail wagged happily.

"Ah! Soba! Please wait a moment, Mighty Snake!" the old woman pleaded, as she moved towards a house.

"'To start with'...? Then that means that isn't enough!" the old man pointed out.

"She's a greedy Mighty Snake! We must pray to her first!" another old woman shouted, as the villagers gathered round Alice in prayer.

I was already asking around for a good restaurant.

Both Luka and Alice were silent.

"Mighty Snake! Here, soba!" an old woman offered, handing Alice a steaming plate of the aforementioned delicacy.

"Hmm, hmm. Thanks for the generous offer." Alice said solemnly, before sitting on a stone and eating the offered food.

Luka still looked silently at the scene, when the crowd started clamoring again.

"Oh! Mighty Fox!" an old man said, as Tamamo's presence approached, followed by the two elves we had met outside the village.

I had felt her aura even before the man had said anything, but I had other priorities, as I was paying for my own meal.

"Thank you... Please wait a moment, we'll bring some thin fried tofu!" an old woman pleaded.

"Hmm...? Mighty Fox?" Luka questioned.

"There they are! They're the ones we talked about, mistress Tamamo!" the Kunoichi Elf from before yelled.

"The other one must be around here. Do not let your guard down, mistress." the Samurai Elf agreed, looking for me in the crowd.

"Alright, you two stand back... Oho? You..." Tamamo trailed off, looking at Luka.

"Y...You!? Wh... What did you come here for!? If you came to do something bad... You'll have to get through me first!" Luka startled.

"hmmhmmhmm... I don't get it, but if you're selling a fight, I'll buy it!" Tamamo playfully said.

As Luka pulled out his sword in preparation, however...

"Oh, Mighty Belligerent Human!" an old man said.

"I can't thank that... If you hurt a Mighty Fox, you'll be cursed." an old woman warned.

"Oh, Mighty Scary Sword! That brings back memories of my late wife..." another old man drawled in reminiscence.

"...Ok, that last one was just disturbing." I quipped, as I walked up behind Tamamo and the two elves, carrying a plate of assorted sushi I had just bought.

Dinner and a show.

Perfect.

"Gah! Where did you come from!?" the two elves startled, while Tamamo simply turned around in slight surprise.

I ignored them all, as I bit into a piece of delicious salmon dipped in soy sauce, a beatific smile spreading over my face.

"Huh?" the two Elves dumbly let out, looking befuddled at my utter lack of hostility.

Tamamo blinked a couple of times too, blushing lightly.

"Mighty Fox! Here, thin fried tofu!" an old woman offered her.

Tamamo automatically took it and started nibbling on it, but her gaze never left my face.

"Tamamo... Why did you come to this village? It wasn't to destroy it, was it?" Luka asked her, his fighting spirit put out by the absurdity of the situation.

"...This village is my home. Why would I destroy it right as I return?" Tamamo asked curiously.

"...I see..." Luka concluded after a few seconds of silence, putting away his sword.

Alice and I were eating our respective local foods, watching him and Tamamo without much thought.

The two elves were still staring dumbfoundedly at my relaxed appearance.

Around Alice and Tamamo, villagers were still clapping and praying.

Suddenly, another old man joined the conversation, addressing Luka.

"Oh, Mighty Travelling Heroes! Oh! Mighty Fox! Oh! Mighty Snake! Welcome to Yamatai village!" he greeted.

"Not a Hero, but thanks for the warm welcome anyway." I disclaimed, still beatifically smiling.

"And you are, sir?" Luka inquired respectfully.

"I'm the chief of this village. You may have already heard, but there has been some trouble in this village recently..." the village chief started.

"Hmph. Shall we listen to his request?" Alice proposed.

"If someone threatens the sushi I'll destroy them all." I declared in a serene voice, still biting into my little pieces of heaven.

The two Elves whimpered and hid behind Tamamo, who just looked confused for a moment.

"Shall we speak somewhere else?" the Chief proposed, starting to lead our group through the village.

Tamamo and the Elves also trailed behind us.

"...Oi, why are you following too?" Luka questioned.

"Watch your tone with your elders. I heard rumors about an impudent fool causing trouble here. I won't allow something like that to continue." Tamamo explained.

"Impudent fool...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"About that... Yamatai village is in quite a troublesome spot due to a particular monster..." the chief started.

"I heard the rumors... What kind of monster is it?" Luka inquired.

"Her name is Yamata no Orochi. She's an eight-headed monster that lives in a nearby cave." the chief explained.

"Yamata no Orochi... Indeed, humans could do nothing against her." Alice pondered aloud.

"Yamata is demanding a villager to be sacrificed to her... One young man per year... If we don't send her the sacrifice, she'll destroy the village... That's what she said when she came, five years ago." the chief lamented.

"Five years ago? So..." Luka said in realization.

"...We are weak. We can't do anything against a monster like that. So far we have sent five sacrifices to her..." the chief confessed dejectedly.

"H...How horrible!" Luka exclaimed in rage.

"But don't misunderstand me. Yamata said she wasn't gonna kill the sacrifices. To prove it, she sends back the previous years's sacrifice when we send the new one... So we are not sending them off to their death..." the chief disclaimed.

"Eh? So the sacrifices come back alive?" Luka asked in confusion, his rage dissipating temporarily.

"Yes... Though he was quite exhausted and weak. Now, in here..." the chief said, ushering us in a large building.

Tamamo had dismissed the two elves before we entered, despite their protests.

I had finished my meal in the meantime.

I was still a little unsatisfied, but I would have time to eat more later.

"This is a meeting hall for the young men of the village. Please come this way..." the chief explained, leading us to a different room.

"Please look. He is the sacrifice that came back last year." the chief said, pointing at an emaciated young man in a futon.

A nurse was by his side, taking care of him.

"Wh... What the..." Luka startled.

"Ahh... Master Yamata... Where's Master Yamata...?" the young man muttered.

"Yamata isn't here any longer. You're safe here." the nurse reassured him.

"No... Not that... Master Yamata... More, more... Suck more... I don't care if it kills me anymore..." the young man pleaded, his voice sending chills down my spine.

Tamamo looked at my face for a moment, as my expression stilled.

"As you can see, they come back broken... They recover after about a year... But they're precious young workers. And that isn't the only problem..." the chief trailed off, glancing at a wall.

On the other side, I could feel many auras of other young men discussing with one another, their muffled voices barely reaching us.

"It's almost time to present a new sacrifice. The young men meet together and choose the new sacrifice... But it always turns into a huge dispute." the chief lamented.

"Of course it would..." Luka said, his misunderstanding obvious only to me.

"Now... Please come this way." the chief requested, leading us to the animatedly discussing young men.

"No, don't worry. I'll be the sacrifice!" one declared resolutely.

"Stop trying to show off! I'll be the sacrifice!" another yelled angrily.

"No, no! I can't let either of you do that! I'll be the sacrifice!" another denied.

"No, you guys are too valuable! I'm lazy and bad at working, it's obvious I should be the one to be sacrificed!" another proclaimed.

Luka looked dumbfounded at their nonsensical arguments.

"Don't pull that crap! Everyone knows I should be sacrificed!" the first protested.

"You're a hard worker here, bitch! I couldn't bear the thought of your mother crying over you... I'll be the sacrifice!" the second shouted.

"I can't let you guys go through with it! I'll be the sacrifice, no matter what!" the third insisted.

"I'll be the sacrifice, so you guys protect the village in my absence!" the last one ordered.

Luka and Alice still looked at them fixedly, staying silent.

During the whole argument, I had felt a cold feeling permeating my being, as I became more and more indifferent to the young men in the room.

I felt Tamamo glance at me again, her eyes widening at my emotionless gaze.

No one else had turned around, however.

"As you can see... It's pathetic, but every young man wants to be the sacrifice." the chief concluded.

"...Idiots. Idiots everywhere. Why don't you just send all of those idiots out as sacrifices?" Alice scoffed.

"They're valuable workers in our small village, we can't do that..." the chief sighed.

"If only I was sixty years younger..." he trailed off.

My inner ice only grew at that.

Tamamo still looked at me worriedly.

"Err... Chief?" Luka called out to the old man.

"Ah, no, no. If I was only sixty years younger, I could have gotten rid of Yamata. Hahahahaha!" the chief laughed off his embarrassment.

His aura, however, betrayed his true thoughts.

"We would be shorthanded without our workers in the fields... So for the first sacrifice, the laziest man was sent... But now that they all want to be the sacrifice, they're competing against each other to be as lazy as possible. That's the troublesome situation this village is in..." the chief dejectedly concluded.

Luka just stared at him in disbelief.

"Now then, please step this way..." the chief pleaded, leading us to a corner in the building.

"So, please... Can you defeat Yamata no Orochi?" he softly whispered.

"Uhm... Why are you speaking so softly? I can barely hear you..." Luka questioned.

"If the men heard me, they would beat me up..." the old man explained, my inner glacier growing again.

"Ah, I see... Got it, I'll get rid of her!" Luka finally declared.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm... I wonder what the reward is?" Alice said, no doubt hoping for some more delicacies.

"...Alright, I'll assist in taking out that impudent fool." Tamamo added, finally taking her eyes off of me.

"Tamamo, you'll help me...?" Luka asked in surprise.

"Of course. You'll be quite useful. Name Luka as this year's sacrifice. Then Luka can eliminate the fool. If Luka loses, then he'll just be the sacrifice." Tamamo proposed to the chief.

"Oi, oi... I don't like this kind of strategy..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

"Me neither. You're not going in there alone. I'm coming with you." I firmly stated.

"What? Daniel, you...!" Luka stopped, finally noticing my lack of expression.

Alice turned to me, her own eyes widening slightly.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on fighting. I'm just going to hide and bail you out should you lose." I disclaimed.

"Are you serious? Yamata no Orochi is not an opponent to be underestimated." Alice warned.

"Neither are you, and even you can't sense me when I'm hiding. You saw what I can do at that tournament. I know my limits. This is within them, if barely." I assured.

"You truly don't plan on entering the fight yourself?" Tamamo questioned.

"Why would I? I have no reason to. Especially if Luka has your assistance." I simply replied.

"...I see..." the Kitsune trailed off, hiding her face behind her fan.

I still could feel her eyes narrowing in thought with my aura sense, however.

"Then I can leave it all to you? In that case, tonight would be the best night to carry it out..." the chief pleaded.

"...Yes, let's do it. I'll defeat Yamata no Orochi!" Luka declared, after turning away from me with a slightly worried expression.

"Ah, thank you for being so understanding! But please keep this quiet from the young men. If they find out we're planning to get rid of her, they might riot." the chief requested in a softer voice.

"G...Got it..." Luka acquiesced.

"I'll convince them to name you as the sacrifice. Now then, if you'll excuse me..." the chief concluded, before turning back to the still arguing young men.

We left the building soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Well, what do we do until night arrives? I'm still hungry..." Alice trailed off thoughtfully, as we entered the streets once again.

"You have fun eating on your own, I already got my fill earlier. I'm gonna take a walk, I'll find you guys later." I declared, before starting to walk away, waving back at the group.

"May I join you on your stroll?" Tamamo suddenly requested as she walked up to me, making me stop to look at her for a second.

"...Sure I guess." I shrugged, not seeing a reason to refuse.

We left Alice and Luka behind soon after that, as she dragged him around on her gluttonous spree.

~– ~ – ~

We both walked quietly for a few minutes, as I took in the peaceful atmosphere of the village.

The whole time, Tamamo kept stealing glances at me.

Finally, she broke the silence.

"What did you mean when you said you had no reason to fight?" she questioned.

"What I said. I'm not a Hero, Luka is. And I'm not so kind that I'd agree to help even people I care nothing for." I explained.

"You have negative feelings towards the men here because of their desires?" the kitsune questioned.

"Negative feelings implies I feel anything towards them at all. I don't." I simply stated.

Tamamo looked at me with narrowed eyes at that.

"Now, don't misunderstand, I'm not judging them because of their true desires, and I'm not condemning their actions as evil either, though I can't really praise them for abandoning their responsibilities... I simply disagree with them on both, and therefore feel no empathy for them. Perhaps that makes me a bad person. But I never claimed to be good." I concluded, in a slightly tired tone.

"...I see... You truly are quite thoughtful, accepting even the point of view of those you disagree with." she commented.

"I just feel like there's no point confronting them about it, really. People's nature never truly changes. Their behaviour might. Their thoughts might. But never their nature. That is not to say nurture doesn't help shape it, however." I disclaimed.

"That's quite a unique point of view. Did you always think that?" the kitsune questioned.

"Well, I obviously didn't quite formulate the thought that way to start with, but on some level yeah, I guess. Can't remember ever disagreeing with it." I confirmed.

"So you think there are good and evil people and that they cannot be changed?" Tamamo inquired.

"Not really. Evil and good are mostly social constructs as we know them, but to me it's always been more of a selfishness versus selflessness kind of thing." I explained.

"And you think of yourself as the former?" she guessed.

"I don't think I am. I KNOW I am." I firmly declared.

"Do you? Then do you never do anything for the sake of someone else?" she questioned.

"...Heh. You know, I had almost the exact same conversation with Alice. Only, it took her months to get to that. The answer I gave her was the same I'll tell you now. Pretty much everything I do ends up benefitting me in some way." I shrugged.

"You did? How did this topic come up?" Tamamo asked with a neutral tone, but I could tell she was concerned.

"Oh, I pranked her." I simply replied.

"...You what?" the old monster asked in befuddlement.

"Oh, you didn't hear about it? I made it so that whenever Luka hugs her she is not allowed to resist whatsoever." I proudly declared with a wide grin on my face.

After a moment of silence, her jaw dropped.

"How did you manage THAT!? And she didn't take revenge for it?" Tamamo questioned in disbelief.

"She couldn't refuse is all. She owed me." I elaborated.

"You gave away a debt from the Monster Lord to your friend? Why? That doesn't sound like a selfish act as you had implied." she inquired in confusion.

"That's the point." I simply concluded.

Tamamo blinked in puzzlement for a second, before her eyes widened in realization.

"You did that on purpose...? What were you hoping to obtain?" she questioned in a curious tone, though I could tell she was now on edge.

"Nothing they both hadn't already offered me." I sincerely said.

The Kitsune looked taken aback for a moment, before I spoke again.

"Besides, they're way too adorable together, it's like watching two puppies fumble around each other... I couldn't not help them out. I may be selfish, but I'm not heartless..." I concluded in an exasperated tone.

Tamamo looked at me for a moment more, before exploding in laughter.

"Hahahahaha, You're right, little Alice is always so serious... I used to prank her a lot too, but she never changed after what happened to..." she trailed off, looking at my expression for a moment.

"You already know? Did she tell you?" she questioned in surprise.

Shit.

I had forgot.

She was way better than me at this game.

I had to pull out, now.

But I knew my deceit would be no match for her insight.

I had to take a different approach.

"...Not yet. But I could guess." I finally replied, closing my eyes in a sympathetic expression, hiding myself behind the only thing I could use against someone that could see through any lie and half-truth of mine.

A different truth.

"...! I see... Your parents?" Tamamo guessed.

Good.

She had fallen for it.

Now for the clincher.

"...Not as far as I know." I concluded, looking away towards the distance, entirely sincere about my doubts.

Tamamo was silent after that.

Inwardly, I sighed in relief.

That had been way too close.

~– ~ – ~

We rejoined the others soon after, Alice still enjoying the local delicacies, as Luka looked wryly at the villagers bringing offerings to her.

"Hey guys." I suddenly greeted them from behind as usual, Alice almost dropping her food.

"Gah! Stop doing that!" Luka startled.

I simply snickered like usual.

"You're lucky my offerings didn't fall on the ground." Alice growled.

"Speaking of which, where are those two Elves from before?" I asked Tamamo.

"They're probably back to their village. You can be quite scary when you're angry, huh?" Tamamo commented.

"More like when I'm hungry. Still, I feel kind of bad about it... Hope they don't stop protecting the village after that..." I said wryly.

"It's fine, I'll talk to them. By the way, I must also apologize to you." Tamamo suddenly declared.

"Huh? About what?" I questioned in confusion.

"About the request I made when we first met. It obviously offended you, so I feel I must apologize." Tamamo explained, bowing her head to me, her ears fully in view.

I forcefully held back from petting them.

"...Eh, it's fine, you didn't really offend me, I just have a bit of an issue with physical intimacy..." I sighed in self-reproach.

"Hmm? What do you mean, if I may ask?" Tamamo inquired curiously.

"Basically, I strongly associate sex with love. Lovers' love, not the familiar kind." I explained.

"...So you only want to be together physically with someone if they love you?" Tamamo asked in a puzzled tone.

"And only if I love them back. Unrequited love sucks, no matter the side you're on." I added, looking away in slight embarassment at the cheesy line.

"...I see... Cough." Tamamo said, as she opened her fan in front of her face, hiding a blush.

Luka and Alice were busy talking with a few villagers.

"Say, you mentioned you like sushi?" Tamamo suddenly asked.

"Sushi is love, sushi is life, yes." I answered without missing a beat.

"...Well, I don't like to brag, but I'm quite proficient in cooking. How about I invite you to dinner before tonight's events?" the Kitsune offered.

"I don't see why not. Hey guys, Tamamo's treating us to dinner!" I informed my friends.

"Huh? She is?" Luka asked in confusion.

"I want to try some tempura." Alice requested.

"S...Sure! That's what I meant! Hahaha..." Tamamo said with an awkward laugh.

Hm? Did I do something wrong?

"Well, my house is in that direction. Shall we?" she proposed while pointing her hand towards a temple in he distance, as we started walking behind her.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, we were inside the Kitsune's shrine-like house, sitting comfortably around a small table with a japanese-styled buffet of Tamamo's own making.

I had sat at Luka's side, while Alice was in front of him, and Tamamo was before me.

The food itself was absolutely incredible.

I could tell Tamamo had spent a considerable amount of time mastering the art of cooking.

Given her long life, it was probably not as heavy a commitment for her, but the results spoke for themselves.

Though she had made a strange face at the small low table when she had entered the room, and again when I had picked my seat...

I couldn't really tell why, however.

"So, how did you like my cooking?" Tamamo questioned, as we all finished the fantastic meal.

"Absolutely perfect. There is nothing else I can say." I said sincerely.

Tamamo blushed at that.

"Yeah, I never expected you to be so good at this sort of thing." Luka confirmed.

"Kitsune..." Alice said with a tired voice, halfheartedly pulling on one of Tamamo's tails.

"Hey! Monster Lord! Don't bully Kitsunes, you idiot!" the old monster chided.

Alice grimaced and left the room, looking for a quiet place to digest her meal.

"Sheesh... No matter how much time has passed, children are always children." Tamamo sighed.

"Why does Alice hate Kitsunes...?" Luka questioned.

"You may not know this, but I was in charge of the Monster Lord's training. Due to that, she lived along with my clan. Since a young age, she was surrounded by Kitsunes, who were constantly nagging and picking on her. I guess now she wants to bully them in revenge." Tamamo explained.

"I see... That seems like a really childish reason..." Luka commented.

"...My method of upbringing was bad. I had to ensure she didn't end up detesting humanity." the Kitsune said in a regretful tone.

"Eh...?" Luka said in confusion.

"One wrong move, and she would turn into an existence that lives only for revenge, filled with hatred of man. Were that to happen, the disaster would be even worse than Alice the 8th, 500 years ago... Due to that, she was not allowed out of the castle before che was raised... But as a side effect, she is quite ignorant of the ways of the world..." the old monster lamented.

"Did something happen to Alice? What would make her hate humans so much...?" Luka inquired.

"When she was a child, something happened that broke her young heart..." Tamamo trailed off, as her face darkened.

"But that's all in the past. There's no need to return to old events." she finally concluded, her expression returning to normal, though her aura was still unsettled.

"You did the best you could under the circumstances. Don't feel bad about it. I doubt anyone could have done better." I assured solemnly, my eyes closed in sympathy.

I felt her turning around to look at me in surprise for a moment.

Then after a couple seconds of silence she blushed behind her fan again, her stomach lightly rumbling.

"Are you still hungry? I'm sorry, Alice ate so much..." Luka wryly apologised.

"I... It's fine, it's good that she can eat as much as she wants... By the way, there's something I want to inquire about... That ring... Can I take a closer look at it?" Tamamo requested as she turned to Luka, changing the argument.

Right.

That conversation.

Thankfully I didn't need to be present to it.

Luka's hidden power would only become a factor after it awakened during the invasion.

And by then I would either be dead or able to finally tell the truth, hopefully...

"Well, I'm going to go take a nap before we have to move out tonight. I ate a lot, I need to rest a bit." I said, as I got up from the table.

"Alright. See you later. Don't oversleep!" Luka nagged.

"Sure, just kick me if I don't wake up." I requested, as I moved out of the room.

Tamamo looked at my retreating form in disappointment.

I found myself a nice tree to lean under, and started watching the sunset, my eyes closing soon after.

~– ~ – ~

I was awoken by a light shaking, my aura sense returning together with my consciousness, telling me Luka was the one that did so.

Above us, the stars shone beautifully.

"Hey there... Yaaawnn... Ready to kick some ass?" I quipped, stretching my back.

"You sure you wanna come along?" Luka questioned.

"Of course. I'm not letting you go in there alone." I declared once more.

"...Alright. Let's go." he concluded, as I got up and followed him to the carriage.

~– ~ – ~

"It's finally time to battle Yamata no Orochi..." Luka spoke up, gathering his resolve, already wearing his sacrifice disguise over his normal clothes.

Suddenly, I felt a few presences approaching our position near the carriage.

"Hmm...? That's... It can't be, Yamata caught me already!?" Luka suddenly exclaimed, as the ones that had been sneaking around us revealed themselves.

"Orya!" a young man yelled, jumping out of a bush, trying to swing a wooden stick at Luka.

Of course, Luka easily dodged the amateurish attack.

"Wh.. What are you doing!?" Luka stammered in confusion.

"Traveler... I heard you are this year's sacrifice." the young man started, as another one showed himself.

"We can't allow someone unrelated to sacrifice themselves! Let us take that responsibility!" the second young man yelled.

"The sacrifice must be one of us! We won't put that burden on you!" a third one exclaimed.

"We won't kill you. We'll just knock you unconscious for a while..." a last one concluded in a calmer tone.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, taking a step back, before I walked out of the shadows, interposing myself between the young men and my friend.

"Woah! Where did you come from!?" one of the young men startled.

"Daniel...? ...!" Luka called out in confusion, before his eyes widened in realization, as he took a sharp, fearful breath.

I answered neither of them, my eyes closed, my head low.

Then I raised it and opened my eyelids to look at the young men.

Instantly, they stopped cold, seeing the absolute permafrost my pupils contained.

I still did not say a word, simply limiting myself to gazing over them.

Then finally, after meeting all of their eyes once as they trembled, I spoke.

"Go home and take a cold shower." I commanded with a calm, chilling tone.

Instantly, it was as if the spell binding them in place was broken, and the young men started scrambling away.

Luka was still for a few moments, until I relaxed my stance slightly, and he dared to speak.

"Thank you for not hurting them." he said gratefully, a slight quiver in his voice.

"Why would I need to hurt them? They're really nothing to me. I wouldn't gain anything from it." I calmly explained.

"That's..." Luka started.

"Cold? Perhaps. But Luka. You're my friend. They are not. They are the ones that wanted to hurt you. And their reasons are such that I cannot empathize with them, no matter how hard I try. I'm not saying I would have been right to hurt them, which is why I didn't. But If they HAD hurt you, I would have felt something. As it is, I didn't." I elaborated.

"I... Don't understand..." Luka admitted.

"And that is for the best. Not everyone can be as nice as you are." I said with a serene smile on my face.

"You're plenty nice!" Luka protested.

"Not to everyone." I simply countered.

He had no argument to that.

"Hurm, another trial of coexistence... One desiring to be with monsters at the exclusion of everything else." Alice pondered as she appeared beside us, having assisted at the whole scene.

"Ah, Alice... Where's Tamamo?" Luka asked her, not seeing the Kitsune.

"...She went back to the castle. It looks like she didn't want to assist you directly." Alice declared.

"Eh? Really?" Luka questioned in disappointment.

"So... She left this in her place. She told me to deliver this item to you." Alice concluded, holding out a small ball of golden fur in. Inside it I could feel Tamamo's aura.

I instantly decided to support her prank.

"Item...? Th...This..." Luka stammered, poking the strange object with his finger.

"Uhyahya! That tickles!" the small furball exclaimed with the Kitsune's voice.

Silence reigned for a while after that.

"There, I handed it over..." Alice finally sighed.

"Ah... Thanks..." Luka said automatically, putting Tamamo's rolled up body in his backpack.

"Just as usual, I won't assist you. If you fail, you really will be the sacrifice." Alice warned.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." I countered.

"Leave it to me!" Luka assured, before Alice disappeared.

The village chief showed up soon after that, along with a few men to move the carriage.

"Thank you for waiting. Oh? Where is the Mighty Snake and the Mighty Fox?" he asked.

"Err... Us two are the only ones going." Luka replied.

"I see. If she senses someone besides the sacrifice she may figure out something is going on, however..." the chief trailed off worriedly.

"It's fine, I'm pretty much the best hide-and-seek player on the planet." I quipped.

"That's... Reassuring? Now then, please step into this carriage." the chief politely requested, ushering Luka on the golden, man-powered carriage.

"Now then, let's go. It will take an hour to reach the cave, so please be patient." the chief pleaded.

"Got it..." Luka agreed.

"I'll be around. See you later. Shout if you need me." I said, as I walked into the vegetation, my enchanted cape providing a near-perfect camouflage for the surrounding green.

Soon, the men the chief had brought lifted the carriage and took Luka out of the village, as I followed behind them.

~– ~ – ~

After the promised hour, we finally arrived at our objective.

"This is as far as we carry you. From here, Yamata no Orochi's power will carry you in. Now then, we shall depart..." the chief concluded, as he and his men quickly left the area.

Inside the cave, I could feel the aura of a massive, powerful, dark being.

"Wah!?" Luka startled, as the monster's power lifted his carriage and carried him within the cave.

I waited a few seconds, before following as silently as possible, using the silent footwork Alice had taught me.

~– ~ – ~

"D... Did I arrive...?" Luka's voice asked, echoing through the cave.

I hid behind a rock, as the huge monster's aura approached my friend.

"Now, sacrifice... Reveal yourself to me." Yamata no Orochi requested, revealing her own form to Luka.

Overall, she was quite bizarre-looking.

It was like eight Lamias were mixed tohether with a dragon's body, with eight different tails and human torsos on opposing extremities, big claws coming out of huge dinosaur-like feet.

Luka stepped off the carriage, entering her multiple sights.

"Oh... This year's sacrifice is another cute young boy. Now come closer. There's no need to be afraid. I'll drown you in the height of pleasure... You don't seem to be from the village... But you look delicious, so I don't care." Yamata no Orochi spoke, every phrase coming out of a different head.

That had to be pretty confusing...

"...Sorry, but I'm no sacrifice. I came here to defeat you!" Luka declared, pulling out his sword.

Orochi smiled in bemusement at the sight.

"Defeat me? Don't make me laugh... But this should be interesting. A little playtime before the fun starts is never a bad thing." she chuckled, rushing forward, as Luka summoned the power of Gnome in preparation.

"Hehehe... Where shall I lick...? I'll run my tongues all over you as much as you want..." Orochi said, before all eight her heads stretched over Luka, their long tongues licking him everywhere.

Luka slashed wildly at them, scratching a few.

"It's time to carefully tease you..." the monster said, as all her heads coiled around Luka, holding him still.

"Hehehe... These tongues will lick you dry. They'll lick all over your body, and send you to heaven..." Orochi teased, as she started licking again.

"Damn you!" Luka started struggling fiercely, the power of the earth coursing through him.

"Just give up. You won't get away. Let me taste this young penis... Hehe... It's fine if you want to wriggle in pleasure." the monster kept teasing, as all her tongues crawled into Luka's pants.

Finally, Luka used her moment of distraction to break free from the hold, though his breathing had grown ragged.

"Oh... What strange power. How energetic... This will be fun." Orochi smirked at Luka's struggles.

He took the chance to meditate, his energy returning to a more stable state.

"Let me hear your sweet moans... You'll drown in the pleasure..." the monster spoke, as all her heads assaulted Luka again.

He managed to break free before being entangled again, and the battle kept going in this manner, with him obviously being on the losing end.

"Guh...! To think she was this strong...!" Luka stammered, his breath growing ragged again.

I gripped my fist tightly, barely holding myself back.

Then my heart stopped when I unconsciously took a step back and a small rock I had missed in my rage skipped over the ground, the sound echoing loudly in the cave.

"Oh? Is anyone there?" Orochi suddenly asked, looking in my direction and quickly finding me.

"Shit." I eloquently spoke.

"You came with a friend? How cute... Though he doesn't smell all that tasty, he seems like he could be delicious too..." two heads trailed off, licking their lips.

Luka immediately attacked her again, but four of her heads were enough to keep him occupied, as the others shot towards me.

I rapidly blurred away, desperately trying to make her lose track of me.

She was too fast, however, and her eight pairs of eyes easily kept track of my movements.

"Oh? He's quick on his feet. Not quick enough though..." the monster commented, as one of her heads shot towards me, much faster than before.

I could use that.

I instantly executed my strongest offensive move, using her own momentum to slam the monster's head on the ground, leaving a crater in the rocks below, blurring away the moment after.

"Ouch! That actually hurt! You used my own strength against me..." a different head from the one that had attacked me said, as the one I had smashed down lifted herself from the ground, her hair messed up from the impact, a lump already forming on her forehead.

Luka had turned to look at the loud sound, and his mouth was agape at the sight of the crater my technique had left, despite the monster being mostly unfazed.

I assumed a fighting stance again in preparation, before our hidden ally finally chose to intervene.

"Sheesh, how hopeless. Just this once, I'll help you use the power of the earth." a familiar voice said.

"Eh...? Ta... Tamamo!?" Luka called out in disbelief, as the furball jumped out of his bag and unfurled into the Kitsune's form.

"Listen, to use the power of the earth, you have to feel its breath. To be able to feel it underneath you, you need to imagine that our body itself is one with the earth. Here, like this!" Tamamo said, as her aura surged, her body infusing with the energy of the earth.

"...What are you doing, you little beast? I'll teach you to interfere with me!" Yamata no Orochi yelled out, as she slammed one of her bodies at full force on her, aiming at the Kistune's neck.

Her head simply bounced back, Tamamo not even flinching.

"Wh... What the!?" the giant snake monster stammered in disbelief.

"The image is the most important part. You must feel the energy of the earth coming through your feet, as if it's breathing right into your body. If you do that, blows against you will feel like nothing." Tamamo continued unperturbed.

"Imagine my body as one with the earth...?" Luka questioned.

"Come on, give it a try. With Gnome with you, all you need to do is imagine it right." the Kitsune insisted.

"G...Got it..." Luka agreed, before closing his eyes in concentration.

"Take the breath of the earth into my body...!" he recited solemnly, as Gnome's energy surged once again, this time much more powerful than before.

"This is...!?" he exclaimed, looking at his hands.

"Hmph, so you can do it. If you infuse yourself with the breath of the earth, your defense will be significantly higher. Now then, let me play a little bit too." Tamamo grinned, as she slammed an earth-infused punch on Orochi's body, knocking her flying.

"How can this be...!? What is this strange force!?" Yamata no Orochi stammered in disbelief, accusing the blow.

"Move the power into your fist, and punch the enemy...? Ora!" Luka yelled, as he tried to attack Orochi in this state.

However, the result was subpar, his blows failing to channel his inner strength.

"Hmm... It seems like the power is still too much for you. It looks like it's still a little too difficult for you to control fully." Tamamo commented, slamming her tail into Orochi's body.

"Ahhg! How can this tiny beast hit so hard...!?" the snake monster shrieked.

"Sheesh... After not returning home for a few hundred years, the young girls here got so arrogant. Just this once, I'll finish it with your method... What?" Tamamo suddenly stopped after she grabbed angel Halo from Luka, as Orochi shot herself towards me, taking her by surprise.

I prepared myself to dodge, shutting off every sense apart from touch and aura, my legs posed for a Broken shadow at a moment's notice.

I needn't have bothered.

Suddenly Tamamo appeared above Orochi, a furious expression on her face, as she used Angel Halo to perform a technique I could only assume was called Earth Rumbling Decapitation with what felt like the weight of the world behind it.

Yamata's dissolving body crashed into the ground, rocks flying out of the impact site, that looked like a meteor had made it.

"My... Power... This can't... be!" Yamata no Orochi stammered, as she turned in to a tiny snake with multiple heads, all of them looking around in confusion.

"Whew, thanks. That was a little surprising... Tamamo?" I stopped, looking at her still fierce expression, as she gazed at the shivering sealed monster.

"Oi. Calm down. It's over." I spoke in a definite tone.

"...Hmph. She got off easy." Tamamo scoffed, before muttering something incomprehensible.

"Anyways, thanks. I owe you one." I said gratefully, as I pet the Kitsune's head for a few seconds, before leaning over to the sealed monster.

"For the record, there are a few things I want to say to you. First, I don't mind the fact you enjoy spending your time with men that are obviously willing. Only, you chose the wrong approach. See, the village you threatened? They actually worship monsters, if you didn't know. They would willingly feed you just because of that. You're quite impressive-looking too, so they would probably be even more happy to do so. Secondarily, while your demand itself was mostly reasonable, and in fact did not cause much trouble with the loss of a single worker per year, the consequences of it were something you should have considered as well. The village asked us to help because they actually were troubled by the young men competing about who was laziest to be sent as a sacrifice to you. If you had thought of this, maybe a solution could have been devised, and this whole battle needn't have happened. Just consider this, as you slowly reacquire your lost power, ok? Your life could be so much easier if you were a little less forceful." I smirked wryly.

The multi-headed snake looked at me with all her eyes for a moment, before quickly slithering away.

Luka had assisted to the whole scene in silence, and Tamamo was touching her fox ears with a dazed expression.

"...Well, I'd say that solves everything." I concluded, sighing in relief.

"Hey, Tamamo... Why did you teach me how to use the power of the earth?" Luka suddenly questioned.

Tamamo finally shook off her stupor and coughed lightly, hiding another blush behind her fan.

"Coff, coff... I've always been teaching my students things. It was just my instinct of instructing youngsters taking over." she claimed.

"I see... Thank you." Luka said sincerely.

"Hmph. Done?" Alice said, reappearing with a few rice balls in her hands, nibbling on one of them.

"Eating rice balls so calmly like that... You didn't care about what would happen?" Luka questioned in annoyance.

"Hmph, there was no need. With Tamamo here, there isn't anything I would need to do." Alice scoffed.

"That's right!" Tamamo proudly agreed, still touching her head with one arm.

"But with that said, if Luka disappointed me, I would have let him lose. If he was sacrificed to her, that would have solved things too. Daniel's solution was better though..." she trailed off, glancing at me with a strange expression.

Luka looked at her strangely as well.

~– ~ – ~

We left the cave soon after, rejoining the village chief under the light of the sun, as the whole debacle had taken long enough for it to rise.

"Thank you so much! You've really saved this village! I'd really love to thank you, Hero... But this village is poor, and there isn't much we can do for you..." the chief trailed off.

"No, no. You don't need to thank me. Doing something like this is expected of a Hero!" Luka declared.

"...Even though you're a fake Hero." Tamamo commented, making Luka wince.

When had she caught on to that? Truly, her mastery of the art of pranking was inspiring.

"By the way, what happened to the other young men? Are they angry at Yamata being sealed...?" Luka questioned, changing the argument.

"That... We could scarcely believe our eyes today. All of them started working again, with thoughtful expressions all the while! Hero, just how did you manage to have them change their ways so quickly?" the chief asked in admiration, making Luka look back and forth wryly between him and me.

Oh?

That was unexpected.

Maybe they weren't so hopeless after all...

"Rice balls..." Alice sang happily, gorging herself on the aforementioned local dish, handed to her by some locals.

"Thin fried tofu..." Tamamo was the same, eating her own favourite food.

"Hey, no fair, I'm hungry too! I'm going to get myself some sushi, be right back!" I shouted, blurring towards the sushi restaurant.

I came back some time later with a huge amount of food in a large container.

I was going to savor these little pieces of heaven.

Who knew if they would be my last ones...

"Now then, we have to get going... If there's any more trouble, please call me." Luka requested, as we were ready to leave the village.

"Thank you, Hero! May good fortune shine on your travels!" the chief wished, waving at our departing forms.

~– ~ – ~

Tamamo escorted us out of the village, still stealing glances at me from time to time.

Finally, she sighed, and stopped walking.

"Now then, I shall take my leave here." the Kitsune spoke out, a little ways outside Yamatai.

"...You helped this time. Thank you." Luka said sincerely.

"Yeah, I really messed up back there, thanks for the save." I agreed, giving my own thanks.

"Don't worry about paying me back. If Luka shows up at the Monster Lord's castle, I won't show any mercy." Tamamo claimed.

"...I'll be there for sure one day. To stop you four Heavenly Knights from messing up the world any more!" Luka assured.

"Fufufu... Quite full of spirit, aren't you? In that case, I'll be looking forward to it." Tamamo concluded, before preparing to leave.

"Wait." I said, making her stop for a moment.

"What?" she blinked in surprise.

"I don't like owing people. I'll pay you back." I firmly declared.

"Is that so... Then... Can I already make a request?" the small Kitsune timidly pleaded, hiding her blushing face behind her fan again.

"As long as I find it reasonable." I conceded.

"...Can you... Pet my head again?" Tamamo finally requested after some hesitation, her blush deepening.

"...? Sure I guess. Feels like I'm kind of getting off easy for you saving my life though..." I easily agreed, as I started petting her fluffy ears once again.

Tamamo stood stock still for a moment, seemingly taken aback by my acceptance, and then her expression became slack, as she leaned into my touch, closing her eyes in bliss.

About a minute later, I stopped, as Tamamo suddenly startled at her own stomach's rumbling.

She blushed furiously again, stammering incoherently for a few moments, before she jumped up, doing a backflip.

Her body vanished through a portal before she landed.

"Huh. She must have been hungry." I guessed, as I shrugged off the strangeness and started walking again, soon followed by my companions.

Alice may have muttered something, but I didn't hear it.

~– ~ – ~

"She looked pretty happy at her reward." Luka commented after a couple minutes of silence.

"I guess she must like being pet. My dogs back home were the same. Normal ones, not monsters." I explained

"Oh, yeah, you did mention you liked animals. But weren't cats your favourites?" Luka questioned.

"Actually, cats aren't my absolute favourite, though they're pretty close." I disclaimed.

"Really? What are your favourite then?" he inquired.

I sighed in embarrassment, knowing how it would sound.

"...Foxes." I finally admitted, looking away with a small blush of my own.


	34. Chapter 34: Rehearsing war

"Alright, let's go to that village where different monster races are living together!" Luka said excitedly, as we moved away from Yamatai.

"Are you really going...? Sheesh, whatever." Alice sighed.

"Why don't you want to go? Is something wrong...?" Luka asked her.

"I do want to see it with my own eyes..." Alice conceded.

"Are you going? Are you not going? Make up your mind..." Luka muttered, as we moved towards Plansect village.

I really wasn't looking forward to what we would find there.

But I knew there was a lesson to be learnt in that place.

Both for Luka...

And for myself.

~– ~ – ~

After a few days of travel, we finally reached our destination.

"So this is the entrance to Plansect village? I don't see anything that looks like a building anywhere..." Luka commented, as we overlooked a thick forest.

According to our map, this was indeed the place.

I braced myself for the start of the lecture, as we moved into the lush vegetation.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, a few dark presences entered my perception, and both I and Alice wordlessly hid.

"Ah, monsters!" Luka exclaimed, overlooking the two groups in front of us.

Three of them were insect-types, A Moth Girl, a Caterpillar Girl and a Mosquito Girl, while the other two were Alraunes, one short and rooty, the other tall and graceful.

However, the two groups were everything but as peaceful as Luka had expected.

"Hehe... Is that all monsters from the plant race have? You're all finished..." the Moth Girl laughed maliciously.

"Ahaha, I'll suck up all your body fluids." the Mosquito Girl declared.

"Ehehe, it's our victory." the Caterpillar Gril singsang.

"Kuh... To think you all would corner us here..." the taller Alraune grimaced.

"If I wasn't injured, I'd deal with you damn insects...!" her companion scowled, some kind of sap-like bodily fluid coming out of her wounds.

All around them, dozens of hurt monsters were writhing on the ground, their auras flickering.

Some didn't have any at all, and just lay unmoving...

"Wh... What's going on!?" Luka yelled out in disbelief, seeing his illusions of peace crumble in front of his eyes.

I could only grit my teeth in the shadows.

"Haha, unable to match my movements!?" the Moth girl sneered.

"Haha, I'll suck you dry." the Mosquito Girl singsang.

"Guh... When are reinforcements coming!?" the shorter Alraune lamented, as the plant monsters were forced into a corner by the insect-types.

"I'll fight too! My sticky silk will finish them off!" the Caterpillar Girl declared, before opening her mouth and spraying the plant monsters with her silk.

"D...Damn it!" the taller Alraune cursed, as both plant monsters became unable to move, trapped in the sticky webbing.

"Haha, time to suck you dry." the Mosquito Girl laughed maliciously, as she started nearing the trapped plant monsters.

"...Stop!" Luka ordered, interposing himself between the two groups.

"Ohohoh? A human?" the Caterpillar Girl asked in surprise.

"Oh... A human coming to this village? How unusual. But why would he protect the Alraunes?" the Mosquito Girl questioned.

"I don't think he's their reinforcements... I think he's just an intruder." the Moth Girl guessed.

"I don't know what's going on, but stop this fight! The Alraunes already lost their will to fight!" Luka demanded.

"If you're defending the plant monsters, you're our enemy too." the Moth Girl declared.

"Haha, today will be quite the feast. In addition to vegetable juice, I'll get to suck out some human semen." the Mosquito Girl singsang.

"Enemy! Enemy! Get him!" the Caterpillag Girl cheered.

"Guh... This isn't what I was hoping for when I came here! Alright, here I come!" Luka grimaced, pulling out his sword.

"Whomever makes him come first gets him... How does that sound?" the Moth girl proposed.

"So it's first come for ownership, is it? I'm fine with that." the Mosquito girl agreed.

"Hehehe... time to put him into a cocoon!" the Caterpillar girl sang as the battle started.

Luka immediately summoned Gnome, infusing himself with the strength of the earth, while the three monsters assaulted him together.

He slashed wildly at the two flying monsters, while the Caterpillar prepared her silk, before shooting him with it.

"Hehe... You can't escape now." the Caterpillar gloated.

"Arara... You got stuck in her sticky silk. You look like a caterpillar yourself now... Hehe." the Moth girl mocked.

"Ahaha, it's time to play with you..." the Mosquito Girl giggled.

"Damn you!" Luka said, as he started struggling fiercely, but the silk was resistent.

"My silk is tougher than it seems." the Caterpillar Girl sang, as the monsters all started teasing him.

Luka, however, struggled with renewed strenght, finally breaking free from his bindings.

"Wahwahwah! Incredible!" the Caterpillar girl gaped at Luka's demonstration of power, as he entered the fight again.

"My pheromones will put you in a trance..." the Moth girl drawled, as her scales started shaking.

Luka's energy became disturbed, as his eyes glazed over.

"Ahh..." he moaned softly.

"Now we can play as much as we like..." the Moth girl said.

"Hehe... I wonder what I should do..." the Mosquito giggled.

"It's time to tease him!" the Caterpillar concluded, as they all neared him and started caressing him again.

Suddenly, Luka's energy returned to normal, as he stabbed the Moth Girl in the chest.

"What... Is this...?" the Moth Girl stammered, as her body dissolved into a normal moth.

"We can't take him lightly!" the Mosquito girl warned.

"I'll fight seriously too!" the Caterpillar Girl agreed.

"I'll suck out your semen..." the Mosquito girl said, shooting her proboscis towards Luka's groin, sucking mercilessly on him.

"Uguh..." Luka grimaced in pleasure.

"Hehe, are you feeling good yet?" the Mosquito Girl gloated, as Luka stepped back and meditated, his ragged breath recovering.

Then he started wailing on the monster with a Death sword Chaos star, finishing her off.

"Kuh... Too much..." the Mosquito Girl lamented, as she dissolved into particles, leaving behind a normal mosquito.

"Wahwahwah!" the Caterpillar girl shrieked, as she ran away.

Finlly, the fight ws over, and the two plant monsters got free from their bindings, before addressing Luka.

"You saved us! But... Who are you?" the short Alraune inquired.

"You're a human, aren't you? Why are you helping us?" her companion asked.

"I couldn't let you get killed before my eyes... But what the hell is going on here? I heard that the different monster races were living together here peacefully..." Luka questioned, overlooking the warzone around him.

"...That's a thing of the past. Plansect village has been divided into two different factions." the taller alraune explained.

"War! Us plants and those insect bastards are at war!" the other roared furiously.

"War... Eh..." Luka spoke in a dazed tone.

"Powerful human, please save us! Help us end this stupid war as fast as possible! Us plant monsters don't wish for this fight to continue!" the taller Alraune pleaded.

"Yes, finish off those insects! They're so cruel and evil!" the other pressed.

"'Save', you say...? Basically... You want me to fight by your side?" Luka asked for confirmation.

"Yes... Please lend us your strenght. Since you're a human, I'm sure you're hesitant at joining in a monster's war... But at the very least... Please listen to our story." the taller Alraune pleaded.

"Our leader's name is Priestess. Please, just meet with Priestess!" the other one insisted.

"O... Ok... If it's just listening to her..." Luka timidly acquiesced.

"Thank you so much! We'll escort you to Priestess." the taller Alraune said gratefully.

"Priestess is in Planforest, we'll be there soon." the other concluded, as they started moving.

Both Alice and me moved behind them without revealing ourselves.

~– ~ – ~

As their group walked inside the forest, Luka spoke up.

"Uhm... You two are Alraunes, right?" he questioned.

"Yes. Alraune is the general term used, but we're not all the exact same type. In attidion to the basic, widely known types, there are many different variations that live here." the taller Alraune explained.

"I'm an Alraune mixed with a little Dryad blood mixed in!" the shorter one proudly declared.

"Ah... I see..." Luka acknowledged.

"There are other plant types that live in Plansect village, too. Ivy types, mushroom types... All kinds." the taller one elaborated.

"All types, eh..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully, as they kept moving.

~– ~ – ~

Shortly after, Luka was in front of the leader of the plant monsters.

She looked like a mostly human girl with green vines for hair that formed a throne she herself sat upon, only her legs were also made of ivy.

"How do you do? My name is Alra priestess. Since the reign of Alice the 14th, I have looked after this land." Alra Priestess said, introducing herself.

"H...Hello..." Luka timidly greeted.

"I wish to thank you for rescuing those two from certain death. In addition, we are all quite in awe at the prowess you showed when you repelled three of them by yourself... Many of us have fallen in the fierce battles up until now... Even a single additional reinforcement could mean the diference between victory and defeat..." Alra Priestess said solemnly

"...So you want me to fight? Use my sword to assist in a monster war?" Luka questioned.

"...This village was peaceful until 10 years ago. Us plants and the Insect race lived together peacefully. But the insect race's leader, Queen Bee, began to oppress us. Her intense cruelty was limited only to those of the plant race. That cruelty only continued to escalate... At first, the insects massacred us, clearly superior in fighting ability. In front of that overwhelming force, the blood of young and old alike flooded the forest..." Alra Priestess lamented.

"That's... Horrible..." Luka said in sympathy.

"We couldn't allow the genocide to continue... So we resisted. With the power of the Canaan Sisters from a foreign plant tribe, we managed to compete on equal terms." Alra priestess continued.

"That reminds me, Priestess... What happened to the Canaan Sisters?" the shorter Alraune asked her leader.

"They have been resting since the battle two days ago. Those two have fighting skills that surpass even mine. For the battles that are surely to come, we must conserve their strength." Alra Priestess replied, before turning back to Luka.

"Now, back to the original story... With the power of the Canaan Sisters, we are on equal terms with them. But there isn't a single one of us that wishes to fight. If the insect race would cease all violence, we would put down our arms in a second." she explained.

"I see..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully.

"So please, join us to help end this as fast as possible..." Alra Prietess pleaded.

"...But is fighting the only way to end it? Can't you try talking to their leader one more time?" Luka proposed.

"This is the result we have arrived to after our talks did not work... War is the final response to this hopeless situation..." Alra priestess lamented.

"But fighting in a war between monsters is..." Luka started.

"...We don't want this war to continue. We just want to live in peace. But to reach that, we have to fight, don't we? If we do not, we can do nothing but be exterminated by the insect race." Alra priestess argued. Luka was silent.

"Please, human Hero. We were actually just discussing a counteroffensive. Won't you join us in our offensive and get rid of the source of evil, Queen Bee?" Alra priestess requested once more.

"Please, help us!" the taller Alraune pleaded.

"Let's fight together!" her shorter comrade insisted.

"...Fine. I'll help." Luka agreed after a long pause, nodding his head despite his reluctance.

"Thank you, human Hero. On behalf of all my brethren, I thank you." Alra priestess said gratefully.

"Alright, you're our ally now!" the shorter one exulted.

"Thank you for joining us!" the other happily thanked.

"Now, let's talk about our ongoing operations. Our base of operations is in this planforest. The insect base is in Sectforest. Queen Bee's hive is located there." Alra Priestess explained.

"I see..." Luka followed.

"Currently, our troops are advancing towards Sectforest. On the way, they encountered the insect race's troops in the middle of the village, where a battle is taking place." the leader of the plant monsters continued.

"That's where the two of us were wounded. You saved us as we were withdrawing from the battle." the taller Alraune explained.

"If we weren't already injured from that battle, we could have beaten those girls!" the other seethed.

"...So you want me to go there and fight?" Luka guessed, but the Priestess shook her head in response.

"No... We wish to ask you to perform a different role. In fact, our direct assault is simply a decoy. We wish to attract their forces in what they think is a final confrontation, as we send a detatched force directly to assault Queen Bee." Alra Priestess claimed.

"A detatched force...?" Luka questioned.

"To assassinate Queeen Bee, we chose some of the highest skilled plant monsters to sneak in. Those girls are taking a different route to infiltrate Sectforest. With the huge battle being waged in the village center, the security around her should be lax. Only one assassin needs to make it to her... That's the plan." the leader of the plant monsters concluded.

"I see, assaulting the enemy boss to win..." Luka said thoughtfully.

"I would like you to be a part of the detatched force. Infiltrate Sectforest, and take out Queen Bee." Alra Priestess requested.

"...I see, I got it." Luka agreed.

"You can see that large tree on the way over there, can't you? That is the heart of Sectforest... Where Queen Bee's hive is located." Alra priestess said, pointing at a towering tree in the distance.

"With that as a guide, I guess I won't get lost..." Luka thought aloud.

"The other members of the detached force are already spread out through the forest and on their way. So please, infiltrate Sectforest as they do, and take out Queen Bee!" Alra Priestess requested once more.

"As soon as we recover, we'll head out too." the taller Alraune assured.

"Us plants can recover quickly if we drink water! We'll be good to go in one hour!" the other explained.

"I understand. I'll head out now then!" Luka declared.

"I'll be praying for your success. Please, bring us victory." Alra priestess pleaded.

"Yes, leave it to me!" Luka assured, as he departed towards Sectforest.

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, Alice and I finally rejoined him.

"...You idiot. You got seduced into that quite easily." Alice scoffed.

"...I wasn't seduced into it. I decided to help them of my own free will." Luka declared.

"Idiot..." Alice repeated.

I stayed silent.

"Hey, Alice... Can't you end this war, as the Monster Lord?" Luka asked.

"Plansect village was entrusted to the divided rule of Priestess and Queen Bee by an earlier Monster Lord. A dispute in the area between the two rulers is not the place for the Monster Lord to meddle in." Alice proclaimed.

"But couldn't you demand them to negotiate peace...?" Luka argued.

"The Monster lord should never be a tyrant. I could demand they negotiate and reach an agreement... But such an agreement would be meaningless. Under my influence they would be pressured into an agreement neither wants. As soon as I leave, things will quickly deteriorate back to where they were before. Unless both sides truly wish to stop, a forced agreement will have no meaning." Alice elaborated.

"So that's why you won't do anything? Even if it means letting your cute subordinates kill each other in vain?" Luka questioned.

"...I'll leave them alone, if they truly wish for conflict. Sometimes in this world, things have to go to ruin before peace can come." Alice said neutrally, looking away from him.

"Even if you say that.. Daniel, what do you think?." Luka asked, turning to me.

However, I said nothing.

"Daniel...?" Luka called out in a confused tone, as a presence entered the edge of my perception.

"...That's enough with the questions. You sense it too, don't you? An enemy is approaching." Alice interrupted.

"Yes...!" Luka confirmed, hearing the voice of the wind.

Alice and I hid again, but this time, she didn't disappear like usual.

Instead she followed me into the vegetation, her aura hidden.

"Are you sure you don't want to say anything to him?" she questioned.

"...I just didn't have anything to say." I finally replied.

Alice was silent after that, as a centipede-like monster appeared in front of Luka.

"It can't be... A human soldier? I can't believe it... The report was right, a human really did join the plant side..." the monster said in disbelief.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to take down Queen Bee! I have to end this pointless war as fast as possible!" Luka declared.

"Ah, I see. You're quite good at flapping that mouth of yours. But I wonder if it can continue to spout that drivel when it's moaning in ecstasy?" the Centipede Girl drawled, assuming a fighting stance.

Luka immediately summoned Gnome, and started wailng on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star, as the monster retaliated by grabbing his member with limbs and mouth, before Luka backed off to meditate.

"It's time to finish you off... My one hundred feet will pound the pleasure into you!" the Centipede Girl said, as she wound her arms around Luka.

"It's time to tease you..." she gloated, as Luka struggled.

"Pitiful prey... I won't leave your penis alone..." she said, as she started stepping on Luka's groin.

"With Gnome's power...!" Luka yelled, as he finally broke free.

"What's that power...?" the Centipede girl asked in alarm, as Luka finished her off with a Demon Decapitation.

"S... Strong..." the monster stammered, as she turned into a normal centipede.

"Whew... Alright, here I go!" Luka exclaimed, before moving forward towards the great tree.

~– ~ – ~

After a minute or so, Luka stopped walking, looking in confusion to the strange object in front of him.

"What is this...? I... Is something inside there...?" Luka said, looking at a giant, slightly wriggling cocoon.

Inside it I could feel a monster's prensence, completely immersed in ecstasy.

Around it, many other similar cocoons were lying on the ground.

Suddenly, as Luka overlooked hem, the presence of the monster that had created them approached him from behind.

"You'll be like that soon too..." a large, silkworm-like monster said, as Luka startled and turned around to face her.

"Inside those cocoon are plant monsters... They were poking around here, so I wrapped them up. My cocoons feel amazing, so it's like being in heaven..." the Silkworm Girl spoke seductively.

"You did all this...?" Luka questioned, grimacing at the Alra Priestess' strike force's current state.

"I'll wrap you up, too... It will be a taste of heaven, so just give in to it..." the monster said, licking her lips.

"Guh... I won't allow that to happen!" Luka declared, pulling out his sword, as the power of the earth filled his body again.

"I'll wrap your penis in my silk..." the monster smiled, as her silk shot towards Luka's groin.

He rapidly cut the threads, before wailing on his opponent with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"I'll make a special cocoon, just for a boy..." the Silkworm Girl said, as she quickly wrapped her silk around Luka's lower half, leaving only his head and shoulders out of it.

"Uhrg...! Wh... What is this!?" Luka yelled out, starting to struggle immediately.

"Hehe... To suck semen from a boy, I can use a special silk. Once wrapped in a cocoon made of this, any man will go mad in agonizing pleasure." the Silkworm Girl explained, as Luka kept trying to break free.

"Give up and become a cocoon... Here... I'll wrap you even more." the monster drawled, as she shot even more silk to cover Luka.

"Hehe, it feels good, doesn't it? Just lay there and drown in it... You can't take it, can you? How does it feel to be overwhelmed by my silk? The next will end it... In only a few moments, you'll be in a cocoon of ecstasy for the rest of your life..." the monster continued seductively, as Luka kept struggling.

"With Gnome's power...!" Luka finally roared, breaking apart the cocoon with immense strenght.

"Impossible...! Nothing can escape from my silk!" the monster exclaimed in disbelief, as Luka took a moment to meditate, before slashing forward with his sword again.

He finished the fight soon after with a Demon Skull beheading.

"Guh... What... Is this!?" the monster stammered, as she turned into a normal silkworm.

"Everywhere I go, annoying monsters keep appearing..." Luka commented, before moving forward again.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, he reached an opening in the trees, standing before his objective.

"So this is Sectforest..." Luka said, as he overlooked a huge hole in the great tree's base.

"It doesn't seem like there are any enemies around it... Alright, now's my chance..." Luka thought aloud, as he made his way into the hive.

Both I and Alice followed after him at a small distance.

~– ~ – ~

"INTRUDER... ELIMINATE." a Hornet Girl said, as she spotted Luka.

"A bee type monster... She must be a subordinate of Queen Bee." Luka commented, as he drew his sword, infusing himself with the power of the earth.

The fight did not present too much of a challenge, and was finished in little time, despite the Hornet Girl's strenght.

"QUEEN..." the Hornet Gril lamented, as she was sealed in the form of a normal hornet.

"If there's such a powerful enemy here, that must mean Queen Bee is close..." Luka guessed, as he moved forward.

I could already feel the Queen's powerful aura in the direction he was headed towards.

~– ~ – ~

After a little while, Luka entered a large room, with a bee-like monster sitting on a shrine in the middle of it.

"Are you the Queen!?" Luka demanded.

"Indeed. I am Queen Bee. Why did you come here, human?" the Queen confirmed.

"I want to end this war! If you won't listen and stop, I'll be forced to defeat you!" Luka declared.

"...Unfortunately, we cannot stop fighting. I govern this insect tribe. I must protect those in my charge." the Queen refused.

"Then I have no choice... I'm sorry, but I have to seal you!" Luka said resolutely, raising his sword.

"If you won't give up... Then I shall be your opponent. I'll defeat you with the power of a Queen!" the monster shouted, charging forward, even as Luka summoned Gnome.

"No man can resist a Queen's breasts... I wish to taste your penis..." the Queen said, pressing her bust on Luka's crotch.

Luka slashed at her, but she didn't back off, using her multiple arms to lower his pants, as she started gobbling his member.

Luka forced her to back up using a Death Sword Chaos Star, before taking a moment to meditate.

"This is a man's weak spot!" the queen yelled, as all of her four arms stroke Luka's groin.

Again, he slashed wildly, wounding her even further.

"This kiss will make you give your body to me..." the Queen drawled, as she forced her lips on Luka's, his energy thrown in disarray.

"Ahh... What... Is this...?" Luka stammered, as his eyes glued themselves to the Queen's body.

"Hehe... Don't you wish to drown in my body? I give you permission... Do what you desire with my body." the Queen said, inviting Luka.

He started raising hand towards her, his eyes glazing over...

However, a small rock hit his head from behind with a bit of force, the pain bringing him back to earth.

I did not want this fight to last any longer than it had to.

And seeing Luka fall into temptation like that was too hard to swallow, even knowing he would snap out of it...

"Ouch! That hurt!" Luka yelped in pain.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" the Queen demanded, but I did not comply, and Luka used the chance to attack her again, her energy finally depleting.

"If I'm defeated.. Then my insect tribe is doomed!" the Queen said in impotent rage, as she turned into a normal queen bee.

"Whew... It's finally over..." Luka said, collapsing on one knee.

Moments after, a Hornet Girl rushed into the room.

"HUMAN. QUEEN IS?" the monster inquired.

"Sorry, but I had to seal her... She isn't dead, and can turn back to normal. But the futile war is over now." Luka said, as the Hornet Girl started buzzing in rage.

However, before she could do anything else, two familiar presences entered the room.

"Stop right there, insect scum!" the shorter Alraune from before ordered.

"Your Queen has been vanquished... Thanks to that, our victory is certain!" the taller one declared.

"PL... PLANTS!?" the Hornet Girl stammered fearfully.

"Hehehe... Time to hunt down the remains." the taller Alraune said, grabbing hold of the quivering Hornet Girl, wrapping her in her petals.

"Now, to suck out all your nutrients..." the monster grinned, as the Hornet girl started moaning.

"W... Wait a moment! The battle's over, what are you doing!?" Luka asked in confusion.

""What"...? We won the war. All of the insect scum are our spoils to be made into food!" the shorter one declared.

"Hehe... Thanks for the meal..." the taller Alraune laughed, before a strong punch to her back sent her flying forward, the Hornet Girl's body slipping out of her grasp, barely clinging to life.

My silhouette blurred away a millisecond after, carrying the unconscious insect girl to safety.

I had planned to just watch, but couldn't go through with it.

I knew it was stupid, as this was the entire purpose behind my presence here.

I only hoped this weakness of mine wouldn't be exploited in the future...

"What the!? Who was that!?" the taller Alraune asked.

"I didn't get a good look at them! They were just too fast! Where did they even come from!?" the shorter Alraune said.

"...Queen, what's wrong? Ah... Plant soldiers...?" the Caterpillar Girl from before stammered fearfully, as she entered the room as well.

"Oho... Delicious looking insect found!" the Shorter Alraune said, looking hungrily at her.

"Hehehe... What a tasty looking morsel. I'll need to pay you back for that humiliation from before..." the taller one added, as they both seemingly decided to ignore what had just happened.

"Wawawawa..." the Caterpillar Girl let out in fear, as the two plant monsters menacingly closed in on her.

"...Stop! The war is already over! There's no meaning in fighting each other anymore!" Luka shouted, as he interposed himself between the advancing monsters and their would-be-prey.

"'Meaning'...? This is just the natural right of the winner. You contributed heavily to our side, so you're owed some spoils of war as well." the taller alraune said.

"It'a an all you can eat buffet of insects! You helped too, so fill your stomach to our heart's content!" the shorter one offered.

"You two..." Luka called out in an enraged tone, as he raised his sword once again.

"...It doesn't look like you agree with us. In the end, I guess humans just can't understand us." the taller Alraune sighed.

"What? Betraying us!? I thought you were our ally!" the shorter one yelled angrily.

"Betray? That isn't it at all! I won't let you kill defenseless opponents!" Luka declared.

"Sheesh, a turncoat. To fight now after such a long battle is such a shame..." the taller Alraune complained.

"All insects are our enemy! If you defend them, you're our enemy too!" the shorted one proclaimed.

The two plant monsters assumed a fighting stance.

"We're the elite the Queen picked to be the dispatched force. We've just healed from our previous injuries, and are in peak condition..." the taller one started.

"We rushed here to help you, but you were already done... Now you're all exhausted and worn out... But we won't hold back!" the shorted one finished, as they both charged forward.

Luka summoned Sylph, as his oponents assaulted him.

He opted to conserve his strenght, going for the fastest possible option, wailing on the shorter Alraune with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"Uaaa..." the shorter Alraune lamented, turning into a tree stump.

"...Humans are indeed strong. But I'm not to be taken lightly either!" the taller Alraune shouted.

"Here, I'll give you a hug..." the monster said, taking Luka by surprise with a quick movement, embracing him in her petals from behind.

"I'll slowly suck out your semen... Give in and surrender to the pleasure..." she drawled seductively, as Luka struggled to free himself.

"Hehe... That's no good. you can't escape. Give yourself to my embrace..." she insisted, as her vines caressed Luka's body, draining his energy.

"Le... Let go!" Luka yelled, as he managed to break free.

"You fled..." the monster said in surprise, before Luka finished the fight with a Demon Skull beheading.

"Why are you betraying us...?" the monster asked in confusion, as she turned into a cabbage plant.

"Betray... Eh..." Luka repeated, his expression mournful.

"Big bro, why did you help an enemy...?" the Caterpillar girl asked in a curious tone.

"Enemies... Allies... I'm sick of that crap." Luka declared.

"We lost though...? We're all going to be eaten by the plants, right?" the Caterpillar girl questioned.

"If you had won, would you guys have eaten the plants?" Luka asked.

"Eww, I don't want to eat the Canaan Sisters. They dissolved and ate hundreds of my friends... I don't want to be eaten by them, so I've been fighting my hardest..." the Caterpillar Girl explained.

Luka was silent.

Suddenly, even more presences entered the room.

"Not good, the plant army is going to be here soon!" a Mosquito girl exclaimed.

"SIEGE! ENDURE TO END!" a Hornet Girl droned as more injured soldiers poured in the Queen's chambers.

"Human...! Ah, you!" the Mosquito Girl yelped.

"...ENEMY!?" a Hornet Girl asked. readying herself for battle.

"Enemies, allies... I'm sick of it!" Luka shouted, as he got up and started walking out of the room.

"...How many plant soldiers are there? How far away are they?" he inquired, stopping for a moment.

"Over thirty. They're about to invade the hive at any moment..." the Mosquito girl automatically answered.

"YOU... ALLY?" the Hornet Girl questioned.

"...Didn't you hear me? Enemies or allies... Those words don't mean anything!" Luka yelled back, exiting the hive.

Again, me and Alice followed behind him, keeping out of sight.

~– ~ – ~

Outside of the hive, plant monsters were already hunting the insect types around Sectforest.

"Ara... If it isn't the hero of the war. Thanks to you, the victory is ours!" an alraune seemingly made of mushrooms with a huge fungus acting like a parasol said happily, looking at Luka.

"Please, join in the winner's feast along with us. Rape, eat... Whatever you like!" Another alraune with vines that looked a bit like gaping mouths invited.

Alongside the two, a monster sitting on top of a big flower-like palanquin was looking at him as well.

"Stop! If you continue to attack them, I'll be your opponent!" Luka declared, raising his sword.

"Arara...? Aren't you our ally?" the ivy-like Alraune asked.

"Did you betray us? What kind of traitor switches to the side that already lost...?" the Alraune with a parasol sid in confusion.

"We must punish traitors. I'll lock you in my flower and suck you dry." the Alraune in the palanquin said.

"You all are the betrayers! Didn't you all not want to fight!? Isn't that what your leader told me!? How could you tyrannize the losing side like this!?" Luka accused, his blade pointed at the group, as his body filled with the power of Sylph once more.

He charged them the moment after.

First, he started with the ivy-like monster, concentrating all of his attacks on her, trying to decrease his numerical disadvantage.

"I'll devour you whole!" the ivy-like Alraune declared, as her gaping mouth closed on Luka's lower body, as another instead started swallowing his arm.

"I'll swallow you whole... But before that, I need to tease you until you're exhausted..." the monster said, as Luka started struggling.

"Ara. that looks like it feels very good. That child is very powerful, so I'm sure he will taste amazing." the Alraune with a parasol commented.

"I'll watch as you eat him, hehe." the other one giggled, as Luka started struggling.

"Do you dislike the thought of being eaten that much? Hahaha. Just like this, I can swallow you whole..." the monster gloated, as her ivy seemingly chewed on Luka's body.

"Uguh..." Luka grimaced.

"Hahaha, are you feeling good?" the ivy monster laughed.

"Hehe... He looks like he's going to come." the mushroom monster commented.

"Hehe, milking him before you eat him." the other chuckled.

"Le... Let go!" Luka yelled, struggling violently, finally managing to get his arm free and cut himself out.

"After I took so much trouble to swallow you whole..." the ivy monster complained, before Luka finished her off with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"This human...! So... Strong...!" she stammered, as she turned into a normal plant.

"He's stronger than I thought..." the parasol monster admitted.

"Yes, he's quite strong." the other agreed.

"A human like you will make a fine seedbed." the mushroom monster declared.

"We'l suck on it... Give us both a good taste..." the two remaining monsters demanded, as they moved their heads towards Luka's groin together.

However Luka dodged them like a leaf in the wind, starting to attack the mushroom-like monster with a flurry of slashes

"Now, join my seedbed..." the parasol monster said, as her energy surged, but Luka was wary, and dodged her charge, countering with a stab through the chest.

"It can't be..." the parasol monster said in disbelief, as she turned into a normal mushroom.

"How dare you!?" the only monster left yelled, charging him again.

Luka changed to Gnome's power, anticipating the grapple attempt.

"Go mad inside my prison..." the monster commanded, as her palanquin's giant petals wrapped around luka, obscuring him from outside.

"Wh... What are you doing!?" Luka questioned.

"Please keep quiet... I'll squeeze out your semen.. It will feel amazing." the monster requested.

"Wh... What the!?" Luka's voice resounded, before he slammed into the walls of the prison, smashing through them with Gnome's strenght.

"Why run...? If you just relax a little, you can enter heaven..." the monster seductively said, but Luka still finished her with a Demon Decapitation.

"What power...!" the final monster spoke, before her body turned into a large flower.

Luka stopped for a moment, breathing roughly, before he was surrounded again.

"Guh... More!?" Luka stammered, as more Alraunes appeared to replace the ones he just defeated.

"Give up, traitor! You may be strong, but you can't defeat us all by yourself!" they yelled.

"Good thing he isn't alone then." I said, as I suddenly appeared behind them, knocking them off balance so that Luka could easily cut them.

"Daniel!" Luka called out, even as he slashed and sealed the monsters.

"We'll talk later. Focus on the fight. I can't seal them, unlike you." I concluded, before starting to blur around the battlefield again.

"What!? Where did this guy come from!?" an Alraune yelled, as Luka and I made quick work of their forces.

"How can we be losing with this many!? Are they really human!?" the monsters said in disbelief.

"It's because I'm human... That I can't allow this to happen!" Luka yelled, as we finished the last of them with a swing of his blade.

Finally, nothing but a field flowers surrounded us.

Luka let out ragged breaths, as I looked at him silently.

Alice approached us soon after.

"Alice... Daniel... I... Was I wrong?" Luka questioned mournully.

"Your mistake was that you only listened to one side's the story. You believe that your side has suffered an injustice, and the other side are the aggressors. Nobody ever goes to war thinking they're the ones at fault. Neither side is lying... Both sides believe they are in the right. Believing to be the side of justice opposing cruelty, both sides slaughter the other, feeling justified in their own cruelty." Alice concluded.

Again, I could say nothing in response.

"Now then. What are you going to do now?" Alice asked him.

"...I don't know. What would a true Hero do...? What should I do...?" Luka asked, glancing at me.

I knew he was asking for advice.

But I couldn't help him.

I had no wisdom to share, even just for myself...

Thankfully, Alice was stronger than I was.

"How long are you going to bind your actions to that 'True Hero' crap? You made your own image of a 'True Hero', and you're trying to use it to justify your own actions." Alice questioned.

"But I have to be a Hero... I can't be anything but one..." Luka trailed off.

"Ah, that's right. Your wonderful reason for fighting in this war. What was it again? You were doing what a 'True hero' would do, weren't you? Didn't you use that to justify a deeper reason?" Alice inquired.

"A deeper reason... I don't want to see weak people bullied by the strong... Neither humans or monsters... I just don't want to see anyone suffering." Luka declared.

"Then that is your reason. If you wield your sword for your own desire, you won't waver. You don't need to justify it as what a 'True Hero' would do. It's what you want to do, that's what matters." Alice concluded.

Luka was silent for a few moments, his expression growing more and more resolute.

I was still the same as before, silent and expressionless.

"Then I have to go... To Planforest." Luka finally said.

"It looks like you've found your own path. Don't forget, you decided yourself why you started walking it." Alice reminded, before both me and her disappeared into the woods again.

"My own reason... Eh..." Luka said thoughtfully, before starting to rush towards Planforest.

~– ~ – ~

"You've been silent for a while. What are you so worried about?" Alice inquired, looking at me, as we followed after the young Hero.

"...Nothing. I just don't like war." I neutrally replied.

"...I see... Can I ask you a question?" Alice requested.

"Sure, just keep in mind, I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer." I acquiesced.

"Why is it that you intervened? You do know Luka would have shaken off that technique the Queen used on his own, right? And why did you save those insect monsters?" she questioned.

"That sounded more like three questions. But I'll let you off since the answer is really the same for all of them." I conceded.

"Thank you. Well?" she drawled.

"...I don't have anything like a noble reason. I just wanted to help my friend." I finally replied after one more moment of hesitation.

I wasn't really lying.

But it wasn't the entire truth either.

Alice did not say anything else, as Luka finally reached Planforest.

~– ~ – ~

"...My, you are quite the violent one. How many have you defeated before coming here?" Alra priestess commented.

"Every one on the way here. You aren't planning on ending the war, are you?" Luka accused.

"...Yes, that's right. Once the insects have all been exterminated, the war will be over. Until the threat of them has been removed, we will never know peace." Alra Priestess confirmed.

"Is it true the Canaan Sisters did horrible things to the insects?" Luka questioned.

"All they did was feed on some live prey... They're carnivorous plants, after all. But... That's also their natural right as the winner, isn't it?" Alra Priestess replied.

"...There's no right to that. I'm not a pacifist. I don't think everyone in the world will ever hold hands and be best friends. But... This isn't a war. This is genocide. I will never let such insanity continue!" Luka roared, pulling out his sword.

"...It seems like you changed your position. Very well, I shall be your opponent." Alra priestess declared.

"Even after I sealed so many, you still want to fight...?" Luka questioned.

"In combat prowess, you indeed surpass me. But in the arts of pleasure lies my chance. If I can exhaust you, my victory is assured. I am a high class Alraune. Scum like you doesn't deserve to touch my reproductive organ. But a simpleton like you can be violated in other ways. Now come, I shall dominate you!" the monster proclaimed, as the battle started.

Luka immediately summoned Sylph, a gale starting to rage around his body.

"Men are easy to control like this..." the monster said, stepping quickly on Luka's groin.

He immediately retaliated with a Death Sword Chaos Star, furously slashing his opponent.

"More powerful than I thought... I'll have to go all out!" Alra Priestess declared, as her feet turned into ivy and wrapped around Luka's lower body, forcing him to the ground.

"This will continue until you surrender." the monster declared, as Luka started struggling.

"You can't escape. Writhe around as you lose. Being destroyed by your own penis... How pathetic." the monster insulted, as her ivy stroke him.

"Uguh..." Luka grimaced.

"Hehe, is it good? Allow me to make it even better. All that remains is for you to be trampled. Now come, ejaculate!" Alra Priestess ordered, before Luka finally managed to break free.

"Why did you run? Even though I'm able to show you heaven..." the monster asked in disappointment, as Luka ended the fight, depleting her energy with a Demon Decapitation.

"Why... How are you so strong...?" Alra Priestess asked in disbelief, as she turned into a flower.

"Get out here, Canaan Sisters!" Luka immediately called out.

"Oh, is someone calling me?" a voice responded, belonging to a carnivorous plant monster that I had felt approaching.

I knew her name to be Dorothy.

"Just one? Where are the others?" Luka questioned.

"My sisters? Ah, they're busy eating. We're having quite a feast thanks to you, human boy." Dorothy giggled.

"I want to ask just one question... Do you have to eat humans or monsters to survive?" Luka inquired.

"No... I can live off non sentient animals easily. A high class plant monster like me is even capable of living off water and oxygen." the monster disclaimed.

"Then why do you prey on others?" Luka asked.

"I love it... Teasing and bullying the defeated. The losers struggle as I slowly digest them... Ahh, it's so fun!" Dorothy laughed.

"Sorry, but I'm going to seal you!" Luka said resolutely, pointing his sword at her.

"Hehe... It's been a while since I've eaten a human. It feels incredible to be digested by a carnivorous plant. I'll let you enjoy it too... You'lle love being digested by me!" the monster said, licking her lips.

Luka immediately summoned Sylph, and started slashing at her.

"Now... It's time to eat you!" the monster said, as she tried to use her hair to grab onto Luka.

However, moving like the wind, he dodged, and retaliated with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"Come on, I'll force you in!" the monster said, finally managing to use her venus flytraps to grab onto Luka.

"Hehe, it's time to dissolve you. Melt in the sweet pleasure." Dorothy gloated, as Luka started struggling

"Good, good... Your struggling wastes your energy. Your penis is getting covered by my juices... You'll be digested as you struggle... I'll cover you in digestive juices..." she kept speaking, until finally, Luka removed himself from her grasp.

"Ara, good job. It would have felt so good..." the monster mocked, before Luka started wailing on her again with another Death Sword Chaos Star, finishing the fight.

"I... It can't be... Sisters!" the monster called out, as she turned into a sundew.

"Not yet! Where are you!? I know the other Sister is here!" Luka yelled, as he turned towards the second monster sister.

She looked like some type of pitcher plant monster, and I knew her name to be Raffia.

"Arara, you defeated Dorothy... Even though you're a human... You're quite skilled." Raffia commented.

"Stop attacking the defeated. If you refuse, I'll seal you too." Luka threatened.

"Hehe... I can't do that. I enjoy slowly dissolving my prey too much. I'll put you into my pitcher too, and let you join in on the fun... You'll drown in the pleasure..." the monster drawled, as Luka summoned Sylph once again.

"Fill this pitcher plant with your semen..." the monster commanded, as a small pitcher shot towards Luka's pants.

He deftly dodged, moving like the wind, and slashed at the monster's body.

"Hehe... You want to jump in my pitcher soon, don't you?" the monster seduced, as a sweet smell spread from the biggest of her pitchers.

Luka's wind protected him, however, and I had been wearing my facemask the whole time, keeping my distance.

Luka just kept slashing and slashing, as the monster desperately tried to hit him with her vines and pitchers, but he was unrelenting in his assault.

Finally, a Demon Decapitation sealed the deal.

"It can't be...! I... Can't...!" Raffia stammered, before turning into a normal pitcher plant.

"It's finally over..." Luka said, before startling as another dark presence approached him.

"It can't be... More enemies!?" he shouted, as the vegetation parted, revealing a monster looking like a giant venus flytrap.

"I'm the eldest of the Canaan Sisters, Deana. It looks like my sisters have you to thank for their current forms." the monster introduced herself.

"There was another sister... Are there more after you!?" Luka demanded.

"I'm the last of us tree. But that doesn't matter, since I'll be eating you. Honestly, I prefer insects... But since you challenged me, I'll gladly eat you." Deana declared, as Luka summoned Sylph once more.

"Digesting their penis... Most men orgasm during it." the monster commented, as she shot towards Luka, but he expected it, and retaliated with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"I'll catch you..." the monster spoke, as she wrapped her flytrap around Luka's body.

"I'll tease you as I digest you... You'll go to heaven while I play with you..." Deana said seductively, even as Luka started struggling.

"If you hate it that much, I'll have to make it feel better... Come while I hold you... Does it feel good...? Hehe... I'll dissolve your body and use it as my nourishment... Doesn't that just sound dreamy?" she continued, before Luka finally managed to break free, and stabbed her in the chest.

"All three of us lost...!?" Deana questioned in disbelief, as she turned into a normal venus flytrap.

Finally, it was truly over.

~– ~ – ~

Luka looked around himself, gazing at the field of flowers the sealed monsters had become.

After a few moments, Alice and I approached him.

"...It looks like it's really over this time. But it doesn't really feel like anything was solved." Alice commented.

"I've hurt too many monsters after coming to this forest. I wanted to be a Hero. To do the right thing." Luka spoke dejectedly.

"You justified your actions by claiming that's what your own self-created image of a Hero would do. If that's how you determine justice in this world, you'll continue to make the same mistakes." Alice declared.

"Justice..." Luka repeated.

"Each side in this war believed they were on the side of justice. Their enemies were nothing but evil incarnate, and so got drunk the violence when finally able to punish them for their perceived misdeeds. It's not just the war here, but the wars of the world itself. When you stand on the side of justice and the other of evil, it's quite easy to shrug off your own brutality." Alice continued.

"Did I do something good...? Or bad?" Luka questioned.

"Who knows.. Good and evil is relative, after all. Neither is an absolute, and neither can be clearly defined. Trying to do so is nothing but wordplay." Alice elaborated.

Luka was silent.

"But still, you ended the war. Despite the foolish hero justifications and the wanton sealing... You still ended the war. You should be proud of that. Of course, there were plenty of mistakes made along the way." Alice continued.

"That's right... I don't want to make any more mistakes. My reason for fighting can't be called justice. I just don't want to see either humans or monsters being hurt. That's why I'll fight." Luka proclaimed.

"Hmm, that's good. The idiot should keep to his idiotic reasoning..." Alice trailed off, smiling softly.

"What do you think, Daniel?" Luka suddenly asked me.

"...About what?" I questioned.

"Well, did I do good? Or bad? Do you think I will make more mistakes? How can I avoid that?" he elaborated.

"Ha, sorry, but there is no way to live forever without fuckups... That doesn't mean you can't apologise or even fix things later, however. In this case though... I think the results will speak for themselves." I said with a small smile, as I gestured towards a bush that had just started shaking, as multiple presences were closing in on us.

"Ahhh... Uhm... Err... Could it be... Is the war over...?" an Alraune with a frightened face timidly inquired coming out of the vegetation, as many more plant AND insect monsters showed themselves as well.

"That's right... Who are you?" Luka asked in confusion.

"We're the ones who refused to fight... While everyone was fighting, we all ran away because we didn't want to be a part of it... We met really deep in the woods, and stuck together. But we came back because something strange was happening..." the Alraune explained.

"The war is over...? Can we stop hiding and running now...?" a Tarantula Girl asked.

"Yes... The war is over. Neither Queen Bee nor Alra priestess nor the Canaan Sisters can harm you any more." Luka declared with a much more serene voice.

I closed my eyes and smiled at that.

At least one of us felt better.

"I see... We finally have peace!" the Alraune exulted.

"Everyone, did you hear that!? The war's over! No more fighting!" the Tarantula Girl yelled, as more and more monsters poured out of the woods.

"There are so many casualties... We have to do something..." the Alraune said worriedly.

"Let's split up the first aid duties! We'll head over to Sectforest while you guys deal with this area!" the Tarantula Girl proposed.

"Good, we'll split up and help those in Planforest!" the Alraune agreed, as the monsters quickly got to work.

Alice and Luka overlooked the scene with shocked expressions.

"There were so many monsters who refused to take part in that war..." Luka trailed off in awe.

"With this many monsters helping them with their own magic power, they'll be able to be unsealed far faster than I thought. Your behavior was absurd and reckless... But now that we know how it can be fixed, it wasn't bad at all. You took out Queen Bee and those Canaan Sisters, and even a bunch of powerful soldiers. It was a quick way to end that long war." Alice commented.

"In hindsight..." Luka added, looking back and forth between me and Alice.

"The monsters that live in Plansect forest aren't fools. After this, the futility of war should be ingrained in them." Alice declared.

"Yes, I want to believe so..." Luka said hopefully.

"It's going to be fine. Good job, Hero." I assured, patting him on his shoulder.

"Luka... You made a lot of mistakes. But you still didn't take anyone's life. That's why they'll be able to change... And me." Alice finished with a solemn expression.

"Eh...? What do you mean?" Luka questioned in confusion.

Of course, I didn't need to ask.

As always, I already knew...

"...Hmph, nothing. More importantly, they're treating the injured far faster than I thought." Alice noted.

"Yeah, you're right." Luka said, looking at the frantic monsters moving all around us.

For a few moments, we just stood there.

I still had the same calm expression as always, silently waiting.

"...Alright, let's go. Even if we stand here, we can't do anything." Luka finally declared.

"Yes, let's keep going. This time, let's go someplace where there's something good to eat." Alice proposed, as we started walking out of the forest.

~– ~ – ~

A few minutes later, as we were moving through the trees, Luka called out to me.

"Hey, Daniel." he said.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Are you okay? You've been silent for a while..." he asked in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine. It's been a long day." I simply answered.

"Okay... You know you can talk to me if you need to, right?" he offered.

"...Thank you, but I just need some time to think about a few things. I'm going to be fine." I assured with a small smile.

I was touched by his kindness.

But I knew to be undeserving of it.

I had been tempted many times to dissuade Luka from coming to that village in the first place.

I knew the consequences would have been dire, but I was SO close to actually doing it...

However, in the end, I hadn't.

Because, not only did he need the fighting experience and the lesson he learned...

But I also wanted to use this war for my own means.

It was a perfect testing ground to prepare myself for the events only I knew would follow.

All that time, I had treated the terrible conflict as simple practice.

A rehearsal for war.

Within that forest, monsters had fought against each other that day.

But the real monster had been me all along.

In the end, I could only hope it would be worth it.


	35. Chapter 35: Contemplating self-abandon

"Alright, let's go to Undine's spring!" Luka declared, after we left the forest Plansect village was inside of for good.

...So it was finally time, huh?

I had been distracted by various things lately, so it almost felt like this was too fast.

But I knew we hadn't forgotten anything important so far, everything proceeding pretty smoothly.

Hopefully that would continue.

Still, Undine's Spring, huh?

I idly wondered if I would meet Erubetie there.

I had no plans to enter the underwater cave Undine and the slimes lived in myself, but I knew the Heavenly Knight herself would leave it after Luka survived her attack.

To be honest, I didn't really have any ideas on how to interact with her.

Her hatred for humans was still in full force at this point in time, and I had no hope of changing that.

There was also the fact I had no idea how a powerful Water element aura would affect me.

It would probably be best if I didn't meet with her at all, I decided.

~– ~ – ~

After a few days of travel, we finally reached our objective, a massive expanse of water stretching for miles.

"This is a 'Spring'? It's a lot larget than I thought it would be... It does seem like Undine would be here..." Luka commented, overlooking the large shimmering surface in front of us.

"This place... I see, Erubetie's... It looks like this is going to get annoying." Alice said in a slightly concerned tone.

"Eh...? What do you mean?" Luka asked.

However, Alice did not say anything else.

"Be careful when you're in there. Always keep your guard up. Gnome, Sylph, I'm counting on you two to keep him safe." I requested.

"Leave it to me and Gnomey! I can't wait to see Deeny again!" Sylph said, poking her head out of Luka's chest, before Gnome's hand smacked it.

Yep.

Still weird.

At least it made me chuckle though...

I was thankful for that.

"Alright, now what to do...? I guess I should take a look around first." Luka said, as he stepped towards the spring, before an unfamiliar woman's voice resounded through the air.

"Stay away..." the voice ordered.

"Hmmm...?" Luka stopped.

"Human, don't come any closer to this place..." the voice insisted.

"...Could it be, are you Undine!?" Luka questioned.

However, he received no answer.

"I wonder if that was Undine's voice...?" Luka pondered, before the Spirits inside him spoke up.

"No, it wasn't. It sounded a little similar, but it wasn't Deeny's!" Sylph declared.

Gnome wordlessy expressed her agreement.

"Is that so? Then just what was it...?" Luka questioned.

"But there are signs of Deeny here! She must be inside the spring! Heeey! Deeeeny! Let's play!" Sylph called out.

No one replied.

"Eeehhh? Can't she hear me? Ok Gnomey, let's do this together! Shout with me on three! One... Two... Hya!" Sylph tried, only to be interrupted by Gnome smacking her again.

"But it does seem like she's here somewhere. They mentioned there was a dungeon underneath the spring... But how do I get there...? Is there a basement or a cave that leads down or something?" Luka pondered.

"The entrance must be in the spring somewhere. If you dive in, you can probably make it to the dungeon entrance." Alice provided.

I had felt the spell over the water leading to the entrance of the dungeon, but purposefully hadn't mentioned it.

As far as Ilias knew, I could not feel ambient magic after all.

I couldn't risk blowing the fact I could sense her scrying spell to her.

"I see, I got it! You guys aren't going with me, are you?" Luka asked.

"I hate damp and humid places. I 'll wait here." Alice declared.

"Eh, I'd rather not piss off anyone, that voice sounded really keen on not letting humans in the spring. I'll take a walk out here." I said.

"Got it, then I'm heading out." Luka acknowledged.

"Get Undine's power and come back safely. Don't lose in this boring, humid place." Alice requested.

"Of course!" Luka yelled back, as he jumped headfirst into the spring, before disappearing in a flash of light.

"Well, that was quick. Guess he probably got there safely. I'll take a stroll, yell if you need anything." I told Alice.

"Don't go too far. This is not a place you should be gallivanting around in." Alice warned.

"I won't touch anything, I just want to walk a bit." I assured, before I started moving along the lake's edge.

~– ~ – ~

To be honest, I was hoping to miss Erubetie's appearance completely.

I was banking on the fact she would leave the cave from the same place Luka entered, or at least near Alice's aura, seeing as I was undetectable.

This also served to avoid having a conversation with Alice about what had happened in Plansect village.

I still was hiding the fact I had been experiencing nightmares from feeling those few monsters whose auras had disappeared during the war from both my comrades.

Remembering all the energy those people had possessed float away, as if air from a ruptured baloon...

I shook my head, and took a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts.

The scenery around me was beautiful.

Truly, seeing nothing man-made for miles was always a strange experience.

Back in my world, it was close to impossible, at least in the relatively few places I personally visited.

The air was cleaner as well, and even the stars at night were a rare spectacle.

Though, honestly, I had no idea if the stars themselves were even similar to the ones back home...

I still missed a few things though.

Easy access to delicious foods, the internet, the music...

The last one in particular always hurt, especially seeing as I still had my cellphone, but no way to charge it.

And obviously, the people.

I always purposefully avoided thinking about them.

It was pointless anyway.

I had no idea if I would ever see them again, after all...

I stopped walking, sighing softly once.

Then, I turned to gaze at the beautiful cristalline waters to my side.

I idly wished I could swim in them, but knew just how bad the idea was.

Besides, I could really not even touch them, what with the spell that...

Wait.

Suddenly, the waters exploded, and I was hit by a powerful wave, barely mamaging to take a breath before the impact.

Taken completely by surprise, I felt my feet leave the ground, as the water compacted around me, keeping me aloft.

Only, it wasn't water.

And the aura above it hadn't been just a spell.

Suddenly, I became keenly aware of the powerful aura that had been melding in with the spring's natural energy, camouflaging its signature and coating the water itself in a thin veil of transparent slime.

"Human. This spring is a sacred place. Your kind is not allowed in here." Erubetie proclaimed, as a clone of hers restrained my body, leaving only my head out of the slime.

"I didn't enter the spring. I'm just waiting for my friend." I argued.

"You mean the same friend that is attacking my brethren as we speak? Have you humans not oppressed my kind enough!? I won't allow you to pollute this last sanctuary of my people!" the Slime Queen declared, her expression hateful and bitter.

"My friend only came here to speak with Undine. I trust he did not raise his hand first." I countered.

"You lie! Humans are all the same! You always take, and take, and take... I'll make you realize the pain you inflicted on us with your own body!" Erubetie yelled furiously, as her energy surged.

I felt the hold she had on my body tightening around my limbs and torso, the pressure increasing painfully.

I desperately tried to think of a way to get myself out of this, a way to survive, anything.

But my mind was blank.

Alice was too far to call for help, and she would only notice Erubetie's clone too late.

I couldn't break out of the Slime Queen's immense strenght and formless body on my own.

And I had no way to convince her to let me go.

...So this was it?

After all that had happened, I was just going to die?

Without ever telling anyone the truth?

Well then.

Since there was nothing I could do...

So be it.

Frankly, I was unnecessary by that point.

Luka was getting stronger by the day, and I was sure he and Alice would be fine, even if some future events were going to be hard on them.

From the beginning, I had been an intruder in their lives, a random factor that could have spelled the world's demise with only one mistake.

I had lied and manipulated them to ensure my own survival.

This was my just desserts if anything...

And also, this way, I would never have to tell them the truth.

As the pressure increased, my bones starting to creak ominously, I kept my muscles relaxed, closing my eyes in acceptance.

I only hoped it would be quick.

"...Why do you not resist?" Erubetie questioned, even while the pressure increased.

"...Why bother? There's nothing I can do. It's not like I ever had a reason to live anyway." I flatly replied.

It was true.

Even before appearing in this world, I didn't have a dream or an aspiration.

I had nothing I wanted enough to live for.

I had no job, no truly close friends, and, obviously, no romantic partners.

My family was the only reason I even bothered to try and live, but I knew they too were disappointed at my own self-abandon.

I passed my days distracting myself in every way I could think of that didn't involve drugs or alcohol, knowing they would only make me and them suffer more.

I wasn't the only one that had a similarly empty life either, among those I knew.

My middle sister had been suffering from chronic depression and hypochondria, while one of my former friends had been way worse than me in his self-indulgence, as his parents actively supported it.

All in all, I was still average in my books, despite my lack of will to live for myself.

Ironically, I had gained some of it after having everything torn from me...

But it seemed fate had decided to screw with me once more.

Throughout my life, I had never been much lucky.

I was never involved in any major accident, except for a couple broken bones, but I did get into trouble at school a lot, and very few of the friends I had actually gave a damn about me.

I couldn't really fault the ones that didn't either, since I was the same...

That too had changed after coming here, however.

I had to do something about it, in fact.

"Can I make a request?" I suddenly asked, looking at my would-be killer.

"...You're not in a position to make demands." the Slime Queen hatefully stated.

"It's not for me. It's for Alice and Luka. And a bit for you actually, in a way." I disclaimed.

"What?" Erubetie asked in confusion.

"If anyone asks, you've never met me. We never had this conversation. For all you know, I left on my own, for whatever reason. If you don't want to lie, just tell them you never sensed my aura. That should work, seeing as Alice can't do it either." I declared, ignoring her confusion.

"...What is the meaning of this...? Why would you...!?" the Slime Queen trailed off, as I used my sore limbs to sink myself further into the slime, now covered in the cold semi-liquid from head to toe.

After only a moment of hesitation, I breathed out, small bubbles leaving a trail towards the surface, as I closed my eyes again.

For a few seconds, everything was dark, cold and silent.

Then I was suddenly shot out of the slime at high speed, my already hurting body impacting against a tree, as I coughed and sputtered automatically, bits of slime splattering on the ground.

"What are you!? Just how can you be so willing to die without even struggling!? And you even asked me to lie about killing you!? What the hell is wrong with you!?" Erubetie fearfully shouted as she hugged herself, small bits of slime scrambling away from my body to rejoin her main mass.

"Coff, coff... What?" I barely breathed out in confusion, my chest still feeling pain from the forced compression.

"You just don't make any sense! Even your friend defended himself, why didn't you even try!?" she insisted.

"What point was there? I know I can't defeat you or even escape. Why did you let me go?" I asked, before having another coughing fit, the last of the slime leaving my lungs.

"You... I...!" Erubetie stammered, before she turned towards Alice and Luka's auras approaching my position, likely having followed my footprints in the sand.

"Leave. I'll take care of this, just go!" I ordered, as I forced my body off the ground, wincing from the pain.

"But..." Erubetie started to protest.

"Go!" I repeated forcefully, making the Slime startle and sink into the ground automatically, as I kicked the sand around us to cover up any trace of what had transpired.

A couple of seconds later, Alice and Luka appeared, and I assumed a relaxed stance and expression, walking towards them.

"Hey, Daniel! I made it! It was much tougher than I expected, but I got Undine's power! I even managed to use both Sylph and Gnome's power at the same time!" Luka said excitedly.

"Really? Congratulations! That's great! I knew you could do it!" I said, smiling sincerely.

"By the way... You met with Erubetie, didn't you?" Alice asked, looking at Luka.

I barely restrained my wince.

"Yes... She seems to hate humans." Luka said in a serious tone.

"Low-grade slimes can only live in a region with pure water. As the humans' living areas expanded, the Slimes' areas shrunk. Even in this Noah Region, where nature sill reigns, this spring is all that's habitable. That's why the Queen Slime Erubetie views humans as hostile beings. Erubetie herself is an incredibly powerful Slime that is capable of living anywhere. But not all Slimes are of that level. For low-grade Slimes, the destruction of habitable areas by humans is a serious issue." Alice explained.

"To think they were cornered like that..." Luka said thoughtfully.

"Erubetie followed my, and the previous Monster Lord's policy of non-aggression towards humans. Originally, she was a very calm and gentle monster. But now... You've seen it first-hand, haven't you? Any human entering living areas is punished without mercy. Her hatred of humans that pollute her home completely takes over her gentle personality. What solution can you give to Erubetie as she is now?" Alice questioned.

"Err... I'd say... Ask people not to pollute the water..." Luka tried.

"What a stupid answer. Are you going to go around the world and put up signs asking people not to pollute the water, or something?" Alice deadpanned.

"That wouldn't work... Nobody would pay attention to that..." Luka acknowledged.

"You run around spouting about coexistence without a concrete vision on how to obtain it... That said... A complex issue like that may be too much to leave up to an individual. A problem like that requires an answer from 'Humanity' as a whole." Alice recognized.

"Alice, do you know how to do it...?" Luka inquired.

"...An answer to that is just one goal in my travels." Alice declared.

"Me too... I want to find an answer too. But with that said, my first purpose is to stop the four Heavenly Knights... And now I have the power of water... Salamander is in the northern Gold region... Alright, the next destination is Grangold castle. We'll collect information there, and try to find where Salamander is." Luka concluded.

"Hehehe... I wonder what feasts are awaiting me in there...?" Alice said in a dreamy tone, her tail wagging excitedly.

"The Gold region is kind of a wasteland, so I doubt they have too many delicacies..." Luka disclaimed.

"N... No!" Alice yelled in horrified shock, as we moved on towards our next objective.

~– ~ – ~

I hid my limp for the whole day, trailing after them.

That evening, my nightmares grew worse.


	36. Chapter 36: Wishing for strength

Even as we moved towards the Gold region, I was inwardly panicking, as I wondered just what the heck I had been doing the day before.

I mean, seriously, that stuff I had told Erubetie?

I knew all that even before I met her, and I had told her no lie, but I never once planned to actually off myself for it!

I may have been low on self-esteem, but I didn't want to die!

Only, as soon as I had realized there was no way out, this cold, ruthless logic had taken precedence over any emotion I had about it.

It was like what I wanted for myself became unimportant in the face of inevitability, so much so that struggling seemed like a waste of energy.

Was this because of Erubetie's aura?

Fire energy made me more heated and passionate, making me act on emotion at the slightest spark.

Did water energy do the opposite? Did it suppress any strong emotion, leaving behind only cold logic in its place?

That was dangerous for me.

I had managed to keep myself safe until then by ignoring the part of me that logically knew I shouldn't be in this world.

I was always aware of the danger I represented, but my self-preservation instinct kept me from doing the most stupid thing in existence.

If my instincts could be overridden like that, however, there was no telling what I would no next time.

And Erubetie herself had been taken by surprise and reflexively let me go once, but I doubted the same thing would happen if we met again.

I absolutely needed to find a solution for this problem.

But I had no idea where to even start.

It's not like I would pass by a magic library or something, and even if I did, I had no magic of my own, so there was almost no chance I would be able to fix the issue myself.

I could have asked Alice for help, but that meant admitting to her my mental state was unstable.

I did not want to do that.

So, I was stuck.

I really was getting tired of feeling so damn helpless...

Seriously, from the start of this journey, I barely had any control over anything.

I was constantly under surveillance, both by friend and foe, making me have to lie to both.

I was getting stronger, but compared to the truly powerful, I still was nothing.

And what use was there in knowing the future if I couldn't even change anything or tell anyone about it?

And to top it all off, even my own damn mind wasn't safe from external influence, my thought process and emotions altered simply by proximity with some of the strongest, most dangerous people I had to ally myself with.

How I had not gone mad yet was beyond me.

Did it have to do with the strenghtening effect Light magic seemed to have on my soul?

If so, then it meant I wasn't even allowed madness, huh...?

Well, this was just an idle thought, there was no reason to assume that, especially seeing as the literal Goddess of Light was crazy as a fox.

Ironic, seeing as Tamamo was her enemy...

~– ~ – ~

"Hey, Alice... How do they decide who the Monster Lord is? Your mother was the Monster Lord too, right? So is it hereditary?" Luka suddenly questioned, as we were crossing a forest on the way to Grangold castle.

"...When the Monster Lord dies, the selection for the next begins. The first choice is indeed the previous Monster Lord's daughter. But the Monster Lord's strenght is the most important thing. It isn't a simple hereditary system, since that could put someone weak in power." Alice explained.

"That's true..." Luka acknowledged.

"So all the monsters wishing to become Monster Lord start to gather. And of course since they want to be Monster Lord, they're all very strong. They then battle against the previous Monster Lord's daughter in combat. The one that comes out on top is the new Monster Lord." Alice continued.

"That seems kind of troublesome... Isn't there a way to decide it peacefully?" Luka questioned.

"Only the strongest Monster can become the Monster Lord. There are a lot of monsters that live on their own, ignoring rules. Without the strenght to subdue them, they would constantly be rioting and causing trouble. But because of that selection method, it's known all over the world that she's the strongest, and unwise to rebel against." Alice concluded.

"I see..." Luka acknowldeged thoughtfully.

"But since the first Monster Lord, no other family has sat upon the throne besides my own. Do you know why?" Alice asked in a lecturing tone.

"...Why?" Luka repeated.

"My ancestors, my mother... We all are linked by blood to the original Monster Lord. Always striving to be the strongest, we devote ourselves to training. That's why we have never lost in combat to win the throne. To make sure we never shame our ancestors, we won't allow ourselves to sit anywhere but on the Monster Lord's throne!" Alice declared, puffing up in pride.

"So... You beat everyone in combat when you took the throne?" Luka questioned.

"When I took the throne... Something happened that has never happened before. Four challengers came forward to claim the Monster Lord's seat. So those four and I fought in a battle royale. For there to be five people powerful enough to lay claim to the Monster Lord's seat... It could be said that this is a golden age in monster history." Alice said solemnly.

"Could it be that those four...?" Luka trailed off in realization.

"Yes... They're currently the four Heavenly Knights. The unmatched Dragon swordswoman prodigy, Granberia. The proud and powerful Queen Succubus, Alma Elma. The one in charge of many of the past Monster Lord's educations, and rumored to be the strongest monster, Tamamo. The leader of the tens of thousands strong Slime race, Erubetie... And of course, me. As you can imagine, it was quite a fierce battle." Alice confirmed.

"So the five of you were in a battle royale... That sounds crazy." Luka said in awe.

"The first out was Alma Elma. After only a little while, she surrendered." Alice started.

"So Alma Elma was the weakest...?" Luka guessed.

"She had plenty of energy to continue if she wanted... But that girl always does whatever she wants, so I don't know what she was thinking. Next Erubetie and Tamamo smashed each other, knocking each other out. Neither of them are weaker than Granberia, but they couldn't keep up with the confusion of the fight." she continued.

"So basically, the four Heavenly Knights are more or less equal in ability?" Luka questioned.

"They have different affinities for different opponents and situation, but they are more or less equal in raw ability. At any rate, eventually it came down to single combat between Granberia and me. Her skills even brought me to my knees once... is what I want to say, but I don't have any knees." Alice smirked.

"Damn it! I was about to make that pun!" I quipped in outrage.

"You don't need to make any bad jokes..." Luka complained.

"I... I wasn't really trying to make a joke... Anyway, she tried to use her techniques more than once. But after I saw them once, they didn't work again, and I took victory over her." Alice concluded.

"So then it ended happily with you as the new Monster Lord?" Luka asked.

"The four of them acknowledged my ability and pledged allegiance as the four Heavenly Knights. Which is another purpose of the throne seletion battles... Beating the other powerful monsters fairly in combat gets rid of any grudges or later power struggles, granting a peaceful reign with low chance of rebellion... Most of the time." Alice elaborated.

"Hmm... It sounds like it isn't as crazy as I thought." Luka commented.

"It's what the first generation of my family decided. Their intelligence was deeper than the sea! It's genius!" Alice declared, puffing up pridefully again.

"I... I get it already..." Luka acquiesced, as a monster entered my range.

Alice and I hid in the vegetation.

Again, she followed me instead of just disappearing like usual.

Was she doing it on purpose?

Why?

The vegetation in front of Luka split apart, as a monster that looked like a praying mantis approached him.

"A human male... How rare. I'll capture you... And mate..." the Mantis Girl declared.

"Guh... A strong looking monster... Should I try Undine's power...?" Luka pondered, before calling on the spirit's power.

Suddenly, a blue energy surged through him, as the water in the atmosphere gathered around him, surrounding him in a thin, transparent veil.

"Th... This...! Will the wall of water stop the enemy's attack!?" Luka guessed excitedly.

"Heehee... Semen... Semen..." the Mantis Girl said, pushing her breasts on Luka's crotch, almost completely unbothered by the liquid.

"Ahhg!? What the heck is this!? It isn't useful at all!" Luka said, before rapidly switching to Gnome and Sylph together, the green and yellow power coursing through him.

"Heehee... Man... Rape..." the Mantis girl said, as she embraced Luka with her bladed arms.

"Heehee... Mating." she drawled, as she started lowering Luka's pants in preparation.

However Luka used Gnome's power to free himself before the worst could happen.

"Hee...! This is a human's power!?" the monster questioned in disbelief, before Luka started wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

The Mantis Girl tried to retaliate, but Luka dodged every attempt, finishing the fight with a Thunder Thrust.

"Hee... Heehee..." the Mantis giggled madly, even as her body dissolved ito a normal praying mantis.

"...The power of water is making me feel kind of depressed." Luka said dejectedly.

"What are you talking about, you idiot? The way you're using your power is flawed. Unlike using the earth and the wind, the power of water reflects what's in your heart. The wind fills your movements, the earth fills your body, the water fills your heart, and fire fills your spirit." Alice recited.

"That's something Heinrich said, isn't it?" Luka guessed.

"Your spirit is still lacking. If you don't train both your spirit and swordarm, you can't call yourself a Hero." Alice declared.

"Train my spirit... It sounds hard, but I'll do my best!" Luka said resolutely, as we moved on.

Finally, we left the woods behind us, right as the sun started setting.

~– ~ – ~

"Whew... Finally out of the Great Forest of Noah." Luka sighed in relief.

At that moment, a dark presence rushed towards him, as Alice and I hid behind a couple of nearby trees.

The monster looked like a woman with pink skin and pointed ears, only, her legs were replaced with tentacles.

"Hehe... It's dangerous for cute little boys like you to be out here at this time. Scaaary girls will come up to you and wrap you in their tentacles, you know?" the Scylla said, licking her lips.

"Guh... Scylla..." Luka said, recognizing the monster's race.

"Hehe... I'll tease you with these tentacles. Don't you want to be squeezed really tightly? Or do you want me to stroke your penis with them?" the Scylla teased seductively, as Luka drew his sword and summoned his spirits, Wind and Earth energy flooding his body.

"Don't feel shy..." the Scylla said seductively, as she caressed Luka's crotch with her tentacles.

Luka immediately slashed at her, using his strongest technique.

"My tentacles will coil around you..." the monster said, as she wrapped her tentacles around him.

"Hehe... I caught you. Now I'm going to use my tentacles to play with you..." she drawled, even as Luka started struggling.

"How pitiful... Struggling like that. I'll caress your nipples with my tentacles..." the monster said, as her limbs stroke Luka's chest.

However, he quickly managed to free himself.

"To break free from my tentacles... But I'll just coil around you again." the monster simply said.

Luka slashed wildly again, dodging the monsters' attempt to reinitiate a grapple.

Finally, he depleted her energy with a Demon Decapitation.

"I... It can't be...!" the monster stammered, as she turned into an octopus.

"Whew... She was strong." Luka sighed in relief, as the octopus wriggled away, seemingly unbothered by the lack of water.

"...I'm starving. Let's make camp now." Alice declared with a bored tone.

"That's the first thing you say upon returning...?" Luka questioned in annoyance.

"To be fair, I'm hungry too. Come on, let's just set it up quickly." I encouraged, starting to prepare my camping equipment.

~– ~ – ~

After a delicious dinner, courtesy of our mad cooking wizard, it was time for training again.

"So that you can master the power of water, we're going to forge that pathetic heart of yours." Alice declared, as I started warming up.

"O... Ok... I'll do my best." Luka hesitantly nodded.

"Alright, hurry up and get into a meditation pose. Then empty your heart to nothing." Alice ordered.

"I don't want to attain enlightenment, I just want to get stronger..." Luka complained.

"You idiot, if you don't train your heart, you can't use the power of water! If you can't do that, you'll never be able to reach Heinrich's level!" Alice lambasted.

"I... In that case, I have to do it!" Luka shouted resolutely, as he sat on the ground with his legs crossed.

"Empty my heart to nothing... Basically, don't think of anything?" Luka asked for confirmation.

"Not quite... But close enough. Empty your heart, and entrust yourself to the flow all around you." Alice ordered, before Luka slowly closed his eyes.

Everything was silent for a few seconds, until Alice finally moved.

"Ha!" she yelled out, slapping Luka in the face.

"Uwa! What the hell are you doing!?" Luka roared indignantly, holding his reddening cheek.

"Why did you let that happen!?" Alice retorted angrily.

I was already laughing my ass off, earning myself a glare from Luka.

"Quit sulking you idiot. You should have been able to dodge that easiy if you had given your heart over to the flow." Alice ordered.

"...Somehow that excuse for slapping me seems awfully suspicious." Luka grumbled.

"If you don't believe in Heinrich's teachings. all the other Heroes are going to laugh at you." Alice mocked.

"Guh... Fine, I get it! All I have to do is make my heart one with the flow, right?" Luka said in exasperation.

"Good, that's the way. I'm going to slap you at some point, so you better dodge." Alice warned.

"I'm not liking this style of training..." Luka lamented.

"I am! It's hilarious to watch!" I quipped, earning myself another glare, before he closed his eyes again.

After a time, Alice slapped him again.

"Guha! Ahhg... Oww!" Luka lamented, as he writhed to the ground, having fallen over from the impact.

"What are you doing!? Dodge it!" Alice repeated.

"No, I could feel something! But I wasn't able to react to it... Alright, let's do it again!" Luka said resolutely.

"Oh, it seems like you're motivated now. Alright, I'll slap you again without holding back!" Alice said, as the training started again.

~– ~ – ~

Sometime later, Alice spoke up.

"...I think it's time to stop." she finally declared, as Luka's face was about as swollen as a baloon.

"No, just a little more..." Luka insisted through his bloated lips.

"Your concentration is already at your limit. If you keep going as you are, you won't accomplish anything. Let's end it here for now." Alice argued.

"J... Just a little more..." Luka repeated.

"If you can't put everything you have into your concentration, you won't be able to progress. But if you're so insistent... I'll teach you a new sword skill instead." Alice conceded.

"A... A new skill!?" Luka exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in excitement.

"After all your fights, you've gotten surprisingly skilled at using Sylph. As you are now, you should be able to apply the power of wind to your sword skills." Alice commented.

"To my sword skills?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Listen, this skill... While keeping the movement increase..." Alice said, as she started explaining the Lightning Sword Flash Skill to Luka.

After she was done explaining the basics of the technique, and Luka started his first attempts at practicing it, I spoke up.

"Hey, Alice. Can I ask you to teach me a new skill as well? Something stronger if you have it. Offensive or defensive, it's the same for me." I pleaded.

Alice's eyes widened for a moment, before she closed her eyes in thought.

"...Very well. I have a technique for you. You're proficient enough in the rest of your style that you could try to learn it. It's called Twisting Shadow. It's both an offensive and defensive technique, depending on how you use it. The basic theory behind this technique is to use centrifugal force to either disperse the energy behind an opponent's strike, or twisting their body causing great damage. It is said that masters of this technique could split swords in bent halves lenght-wise when blocking a thrust, or twist an opponent's body into mangled messes." Alice recounted.

"That sounds powerful... Could it also work on formless opponents?" I asked curiously.

"...Some may not take much damage from it, but it can serve to disperse them or manipulate their forms so that they become harmless." Alice elaborated.

"I see... Very well. I will use this responsibly, I promise." I assured sincerely.

"...Alright. The way this technique works..." Alice explained the skill's usage and method carefully.

It could be used with either arms or legs, as long as one was proficient enough, making it a very versatile and powerful technique.

I immediately started practicing the first step on a nearby tree, my strenght leaving a slight, but noticeable, twist in its bark, my Enrikan gloves protecting my hands from splinters and such.

As I kept practicing, I suddenly had an epiphany.

"Hey, Alice." I called out.

"Yes?" she answered.

"These techniques... They're not meant for monsters, are they?" I inferred.

There was too much attention to detail in their forms for such techniques to be usable by all but a handful of humanoid monsters, like Elves.

Seeing as Alice had never mentioned what type of monster used them, and the fact they obviously all belonged to the same style, with some techniques meant to be highly lethal or damaging, ordinary monsters wouldn't need such complicated skills.

They could just overwhelm their opponents with their unique bodily characteristics or magical power.

Alice was silent, for a few moments, looking at me in surprise.

Then she closed her eyes, sighing in resignation.

"...So you noticed. You're right. Those techniques were used by humans to kill monsters." she confessed.

"I see... Thank you." I said sincerely, bowing my head slightly.

"What...? Why are you thanking me? I lied to you. Shouldn't you be angry instead?" Alice asked in confusion.

"You entrusted such powerful techniques to me despite not knowing what I would do with them. You tried to protect me from the implications of their history, thinking I wouldn't want to learn or use them if I knew it. I don't care what the history behind a technique is, what matters is how it's used. But you obviously DO care. And still trusted me to do good with them. That means a lot to me." I declared gratefully.

"...I still lied to you, however. And obviously, I didn't need to, as you yourself admitted." she pointed out.

"I'd say I owe you for the techniques themselves, so we're even in my opinion." I shrugged.

I didn't mention I still owed her for my own lies.

"...I see. Nevertheless, I will endeavor to avoid such needless subterfuges in the future." Alice concluded.

"Eh, I'm kind of an irresponsible ass sometimes, you were right to be worried, don't be too bothered by it." I quipped dismissingly.

Alice simply turned away from me, observing Luka's training.

Of course, I also knew I had no right to judge others for hiding things from me...

"I got it! Like this?" Luka asked, as the wind accompanied his movements for an extremely fast thrust, his sword piercing straight through the tree he had been practicing on.

I looked at my own tree, and at the small twist I had made.

"Stupid swords and their useful grumblegrumblegrumble..." I muttered unintelligibly in slight envy.

I truly was jealous of how he could use his sword like that without worry.

I would have to be a lot more careful with my own techniques.

"Hmph... Well done. Basically, you use Thunder Thrust while infused with the power of the wind. Therefore it's called Lightning Sword Flash! This skill is much better than Thunder Thrust. In adition, if you have Sylph summoned, the power is further amplified. The Death God Girl Thanatos used this skill to sever the lives of hundreds of humans." Alice recounted.

"Urhg... Another skill with a horrifying past." Luka lamented, having missed the conversation I and Alice had earlier, as he was busy with his own training.

Finally, we concluded the night's training session and went to sleep.

~– ~ – ~

The next day, we continued our journey towards Grangold castle.

Along the way, a monster's presence approached, and Alice and I hid behind a rock.

"Her hair is made up of snakes... What a weird monster." Luka commented, looking at the Medusa in front of him.

"Don't say mean things to me.. Or else I'll use them to tease your penis..." the monster said in an offended tone.

"Ah... Sorry." Luka imediately apologised.

"It's too late to apologize... I'm going to turn you to stone..." the monster declared, as Luka summoned Sylph in preparation for the coming fight.

"I'll suck it like this!" the monster said, as she lowered Luka's pants and started licking him.

Luka quickly retreated, and used his new technique to inflict heavy damage.

"I'll turn you to stone!" the Medusa said, as her eyes started shining.

I hadn't been looking at the fight directly, using my aura sense instead, just in case.

Thankfully Luka was protected by a gust of wind that closed his eyes just in time.

I would praise Sylph a bit later.

"With the wind guiding my sword... Lightning Sword Flash!" Luka yelled, finishing the fight with another devastating thrust.

"Noooo..." the medusa, as she turned into a snake and slithered away.

"Whew, I managed to win somehow..." Luka sighed in relief.

"That technique of yours is really nice... I sort of wish I could have a sword like yours sometimes. Though I would probably just seal myself with it all the time..." I sighed.

"I'm sure you would be great with it! You're already so strong without weapons, you would be even better with one." Luka claimed.

"Nah, I doubt that, using my own body is way easier than learning weapons. Plus, I doubt Alice has another sword made of melted angels lying around." I pointed out.

"Angel Halo is quite unique indeed." Alice confirmed.

"What a shame..." Luka lamented, as we moved on towards the castle.

~– ~ – ~

"Is that Grangold castle? Grand Noah castle was already amazing, but this place is supposed to be even more advanced... To think I'll get to see humans and monsters living even closer together... I can't wait!" Luka pondered, overlooking our destination in excitement.

"Hmm, I wonder what they eat there... I can't wait!" Alice agreed.

"I'm just looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for once. We've been camping out for a while." I said wistfully.

Finally, we started approaching the castle, when suddenly, a gigantic monster blocked our path.

"WARNING. NO AUTHORITY TO PASS. RETURN." a huge, womanlike shape made of rocks covered in magic circles said.

Her aura felt completely artificial, her intelligence nonexistant.

"Wah... She's huge! What is she!?" Luka startled.

"Hmmm... I don't recognize this monster." Alice commented.

"A monster even the Monster Lord doesn't know...? It can't be... Is it another monster like the one in the Forest of Spirits?" Luka guesed.

"No, her nature feels entirely different. This one has the smell of magic around her." Alice disclaimed.

"Magic...? Do you mean she was artificially made?" Luka questioned.

"INTRUDERS REMAIN. BEGIN REMOVAL." the Golem Girl said mechanically, as she started lumbering towards us.

Luka pulled out his sword, as I assumed a fighting stance.

As Luka started summoning his spirits, I moved forward in a blur and punched the monster's arm from the side, cracking the stone slightly, before rapidly backing off.

"ATTACK METHOD A SELECTED." the Golem Girl droned, as she smashed her fists on Luka, who blocked them with Gnome's power.

Then he blurred forward, moving like the wind, performing a Death Sword Chaos Star.

I drew closer from behind, and decided to try my new technique.

The results were quite disappointing, as I barely even scratched the rocky monster's surface, immediately backing off before she could retaliate.

"CAPTURE ENEMY." the Golem Girl said, as her huge hands closed around Luka.

"CAPTURE SUCCESSFUL." she droned, as Luka started struggling.

"ENEMY RESISTING. ENEMY GENDER CONFIRMED. POWER POTENTIAL ANALYZING... CONFIRMED. VIABLE SOURCE." the Golem said, as a hole opened oh her lower body.

Instantly, I reacted to the danger.

I blurred forward, and punched the monster's arm with all my strenght, more cracks appearing on the stone, that soon broke apart under Luka's power.

"MISTERIOUS ENERGY. UNKNOWN." the monster droned, as Luka fell on the ground and started wailing on her again.

"REACTOR DAMAGED. SHUTDOWN INITIATED." the Golem Girl said mechanically, before falling on the ground unmoving.

"Whew... Thanks, Daniel. That was close." Luka sighed in relief.

"Don't mention it." I simply replied.

"Just what is this monster...?" Luka pondered, as soldiers started coming out of the castle.

"Everything's fine now, soldiers. I'm a Hero, and I defeated the monster threatening the castle." Luka assured.

The soldiers were silent for a moment, before they pointed their spears at us.

"I... I'm sorry... I'm really a fake Hero!" Luka confessed fearfully.

"Damn you, you monster! How dare you do that to Golem Girl!?" a soldier yelled.

"Don't get close! These two have some crazy strenght!" another warned.

"U... Uhm... I'm a human... Not a monster!" Luka disclaimed.

"I'd say the same, but it's not so clear-cut in my case..." I trailed off a bit uncomfortably.

"Cease your lies! There's no human that can defeat a Golem Girl!" a soldier yelled.

"Ah, no, well that was because I borrowed the power of the spirits..." Luka started.

"Arrest them!" one of them yellled, as the soldiers apprehended us.

"I'd just like to point out that we only fought in self defense. Regardless, we'll cooperate." I shrugged.

"Silence!" one of them ordered, as we were brought into town.

Well, at least we were in.

I idly wished I had a harmonica...

That would have been appropriate.


	37. Chapter 37: Fighting for freedom

"Look officer, I swear, I'm not trying to make your job harder... I respect how important your time is, I just don't have any better place you can send your message to. Besides, I would think that the ruler of a nation should be a perfect guarantor, right?" I wryly spoke, trying to soothe the exasperated soldier trying to interrogate me.

"And you expect me to bother the King of Sabasa just for any random criminal!? Do you have any idea just how dire the consequences would be for me if you were lying!? There's no way I will risk my job like that with only your word for it!" the soldier shouted furiously.

"First, if you asked my friend, I'm sure he would agree with my story, second, even if we both were lying, you could just say I will take full responsibility and have someone else confirm it with me beforehand so that I can't weasel my way out of it later, third I would have no reason to lie about something that could so easily blow up in my face and make my situation even worse, fourth, you could always just let my friend vouch for me after HIS credentials come back, this conversation didn't need to happen in the first place, I am just trying to cooperate as best I can because I respect your authority, and wish to not cause any further misunderstandings." I enumerated.

"Daaaargh! Just stop talking already! I'm done! Just stay here, we will wait for your accomplice's credentials, and if it turns out he was lying you'll both be imprisoned for a very long time!" the soldier yelled out in frustration.

"Fine by me." I agreed, as the soldier left the front of my cell, leaving me alone in the dark dungeon.

He had spent quite some time trying to convince me to give him my home village's name, but of course, I didn't have one.

The King of Sabasa owed me, and I knew he was an honorable man, so even if they did listen to me (which I knew to be unlikely) and send him a message I wasn't worried about the outcome.

The best case scenario was that they would just let the matter drop when Luka's credentials came.

And if they tried to screw me over, I could just have Alice bail me out.

I didn't feel entirely comfortable about the idea of solving my problems with mind control, but I couldn't afford slowing us down.

The Succubus village debacle was getting closer, and if we were late by even one day, it could have been a disaster...

Plus, the population of this city was doing the same thing, so I was at least a little bit justified.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, after a time, the soldier came back, looking both relieved and annoyed.

"You're lucky you have such a good friend." he said, as he opened the cell door with his keys.

"That I am. But seriously, I wasn't lying. And I do respect the job you do. I'm sorry for all the trouble..." I sincerely apologised as I exited the cell.

The soldier just sighed in response, before leading me to my friends outside the dungeons.

~– ~ – ~

"Hey guys." I called out to my friends as soon as I saw them.

"Daniel! Are you ok?" Luka immediately asked in concern.

"Why wouldn't I be? I knew you'd get me out. Thanks man." I said gratefully.

"Still, you only tried to help me, I was the one that destroyed the Golem, you shouldn't have been arrested..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

"It's fine, I'm not bothered. Just let it drop." I waved him off.

"...Alright." he acquiesced.

"Now then, would you please have an audience with the King?" the captain that had escorted Luka requested.

"With the King...? Uh oh, is he angry that I destroyed the golem?" Luka said in a worried tone.

"Hahaha, not at all. He's always goofing off and ignoring his duties. Recently, he has taken a fancy to listening to stories of travelers. I'm sure two strong men like you would have quite the interesting tales to share with him." the captain laughed.

"But I didn't come here to play around..." Luka protested.

"Ah, no, no, it won't take long. Just talk to him for as long as the Golem is being repaired..." the Captain pleaded, dangling Luka's guilt in front of his face.

"O... Ok, I'll talk with him." Luka finally acquiesced.

"And yet another audience with the local ruler... Seriously, there can't be that many left at this point." I quipped in an impressed tone.

"Right then, follow me to the castle!" the captain declared, as we started walking through the town.

~– ~ – ~

As I expected, there were only a few types of monsters around, either artificial ones or Ant Girls.

"I SHALL CARRY LUGGAGE." one of the latter droned, as she offered to carry Luka' and my backpacks.

"Eh...? Who is she...?" Luka questioned, staring at theAnt Girl in surprise.

"She's an Ant Girl that lives with us in Grangold. They're controlled by magic, and are made useful for humans. Let her carry your luggage." the soldier provided.

"Ah, then here you go... hmm?" Luka started giving her his bag, before I stopped him.

"We're fine. Thank you." I told the Ant Girl.

"UNDERSTOOD." she droned, before walking away.

"I assure you, she was only trying to be helpful..." the soldier disclaimed, thinking I had misunderstood her intentions.

"I know." I simply stated, before walking forward, my expression unreadable.

Luka and the captain followed soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Those Ant Girls are awfully hard workers, aren't they?" Luka commented, overlooking the various odd jobs the Ant Girls were doing in the city.

"Yes, that's right. In this town, humans leave almost all the work to the Ant Girls." the captain explained.

"Oh... Who's that...?" Luka asked, looking at an artificial monster seemingly made out of mud.

"A man made monster made with Magic Science, a Mud Golem Girl. Those mud golems and the Ant Girls are the labor force of this town." the captain answered.

"I see..." Luka trailed off, looking thoughtful.

Again, I was silent, keeping my expression carefully neutral.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we entered the castle, the captain leading us directly to the audience room, where a young man with blue hair and green eyes, dressed in regal white clothes greeted us with a smile.

"I see, you were the travelers that defeated the Golem Girl! Able to defeat her... You're amazing. I want to hear stories of your adventures. Heart pounding, blood pumping stories of adventures and heroics!" the King of Grangold requested in an excited tone.

"Since I broke the gatekeeper, I must apologize..." Luka said, bowing respectfully, before starting to recount our adventures, neglecting to mention anything about Alice or my fictional background.

As Luka spoke, I silently stood beside him, my eyes closed.

"EXCUSE ME, KING." an Ant Girl said, entering the room.

"...Do you need something? I'm with a guest at the moment, so I'd prefer it if you left..." the King said in barely concealed annoyance.

"IT IS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S FLOOD CONTROL REPORT." the monster explained.

"...Ah, yeah. I'll leave that all up to you." the King delegated.

"ALSO THE PROBLEM ABOUT THE DELAY IN GOODS IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT." the Ant Girl added.

"...Ah, yeah. I leave that up to you, too. Please do whatever you think is best." the King ordered.

"...CONFIRMED. EXCUSE ME." the monster dismissed herself, leaving the room soon after.

During the whole conversation, I had barely held myself back from punching something.

This was just WRONG!

"Ah, that was embarrassing. In truth, I leave all of the government affairs to the Ant Girls. Thanks to them, I have all the free time I want. Hahaha." the King chuckled wryly.

"I... I see..." Luka acknowledged.

"You saw it, didn't you? The way humans and monsters live together here?" the King asked.

"...Y...Yeah..." Luka confirmed.

"Thanks to the monsters, no humans have to do any manual labor anymore. That's why we're known all over as the place where humans and monsters live together in peace!" the King laughed happily.

I resisted knocking out all his teeth, held back only by my future knowledge.

He would get his comeuppance the following day, and learn from it.

I didn't need to dirty my hands...

~– ~ – ~

We left the castle soon after, and quickly managed to meet up with Alice.

"...So it's like that." Luka said, finishing his explanation of the city's circumstances.

"Hmph..." Alice scoffed, crossing her arms.

"...This isn't coexistence. The humans are just forcing all the work they don't want to do on the monsters." Luka declared.

I agreed wholeheartedly.

The only reason I didn't do or say anything was that I also knew it wouldn't last, unlike him.

"Ant Girls generally follow a leader and act as a group. But using them like this is abuse. In addition, man-made monsters... The Magic Science used here has advanced quite far... But I can't admire it." Alice added, looking at the monsters working in the city.

"They leave everything to the monsters, and live a life of comfort and ease... Daniel, what do you think? You've been silent for a while..." Luka suddenly questioned.

"...This is slavery. Nothing more, and nothing less. It's WRONG." I stated, the last word coming out in a low growl, my expression slipping for a moment into a mask of fury.

Both Luka and Alice looked at me silently, their eyes widening.

Then I closed my eyes and exhaled, some of the tension leaving my body.

"Let's just gather some more information and leave tomorrow. I don't know what I'll do if I stay here any longer than that." I proposed, my expression and tone slightly calmer now.

Luka and Alice both nodded wordlessly, before we moved on.

~– ~ – ~

"A little bit west of here is the Succubus village. I came from there." an old woman told Luka, as we had started a conversation in hopes of getting the local Inn's address.

"Ehh!? Then... You're a Succubus!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Fool! I'm a human!" the old woman roared indignantly.

"Can confirm that. You still need to work on your senses." I declared, looking at Luka.

"...Ah... Of course..." Luka said apologetically.

"It's often misunderstood, but the Succubus village doesn't have any Succubi living there. All of the residents are normal humans." the old woman explained.

Of course, I knew she was not entirely correct...

"Then why do they call it the Succubus village?" Luka questioned.

"That's because... Every 100 years, a group of Succubi attack the village. I don't know why, but they're pretty punctual with their attacks." the old woman elaborated.

"Every 100 years Succubi attack the village? Why do they do such a strange thing...?" Luka asked.

"...It's probably due to the influence of the purple moon. It's on a 100 year cycle. When it's a full moon, erotic type monsters have powerful magic and fertility. That night is called the Purple Sabbath... That is, it's the best breeding time for Succubi. They come together as a group and begin their... Activities." Alice elucidated.

"My word! Young lady, you are quite knowledgeable! Even someone who lived in the villege like me didn't know that!" the old woman praised.

"Don't tell me that Purple Sabbath is soon..." Luka said worriedly.

"That's correct. It's one week from now. That's why I've come here to seek shelter. I'm worried for those that are still in the village..." the old woman confirmed.

Good, I thought, inwardly sighing in relief.

We were still on schedule.

"Won't the remaining villagers all be attacked by the Succubi!? If that's the case, I should go...!" Luka said in a concerned tone.

"Hmph. Are you going there so you can be attacked by the Succubi?" Alice deadpanned.

"No! I'm going to defeat them!" Luka declared.

"Well, I guess we're gonna make a stop there then. Hopefully we can get there in time..." I commented.

"Are you not worried you'll get attacked?" Alice asked me.

"Well, I'm not exactly the most appetizing prey around. Plus, I'll have Luka to cover my back. And I'm not going to let him fight an army of hungry monsters alone." I stated.

"Thanks..." Luka said, as he moved to hug me.

Again, I turned him towards Alice instead.

"Stop doing that!" Alice yelled, but the few seconds of silence before it and her red face as she did so made her less than convincing.

I simply snickered and started walking away.

Luka looked at me strangely, after he overcame his own embarassment too.

~– ~ – ~

We learned from Amira about Salamander's location a bit later.

Alice asked her to look into the Orb treasures, and she happily agreed to help her Hero.

I stayed silent like usual.

~– ~ – ~

"Uwa, this place is huge..." Luka said, as we walked into a gigantic room near the castle, the door having been left open.

"Ara, here for an inspection? There are a lot of things I can't show you, so I can't particularly welcome you." a staff member wearing a robe said.

"Is this where the Golem Girl was made?" Luka asked, noting the woman's mage-like garbs, and some of the equipment in the room.

"Yes, this is where we refine our Magic Science. Grangold is the most advanced in all the world." the robed woman proudly declared.

"...I'd like to ask a question. How do you issue orders to the Ant Girls?" Alice inquired.

"That's classified, so I can't say too much... But they basically recognize human orders as coming from the Queen Ant." the woman explained.

"You can do that...? Anyway, where is their true leader, the Queen Ant, located at?" Alice questioned.

"Hehe, you want to know? The Queen Ant is in the basement of the castle." the woman revealed.

"Is she sealed...? Can humans do such a thing?" Alice inquired in a worried tone.

"How it was done is classified. But since it was done, the Ant Girls have become quite useful." the woman concluded.

"Such absurdity... A Queen class monster was sealed by normal humans' power..." Alice muttered in concern.

"I'm awfully curious... Are you perhaps a spy from another country? If so, you can't duplicate it in other countries. Because it's only possible using the cutting edge in Magic Science." the woman grinned.

All of us were silent as we left the building.

However, I still had plans for later about this facility...

~– ~ – ~

Some time after, we spoke with a diplomat inside the castle.

"I leave most of the work to the work to the Ant Girls. But since using Ant Girls as diplomats won't work in a lot of places, I still have to work. I just got back from Lady's village on the tip of the continent the other day." he said conversationally.

"Lady's village...?" Luka asked.

"Just like the name implies, it's a village where a bunch of beautiful women live. But there's been a strange rumor.. So I went to see if it was true or not." the diplomat explained.

"A strange rumor...? What was it?" Luka questioned.

"The male adventurers that go to Lady's village never come back. Women don't have any issues, but men don't ever seem to leave. It's a strange rumor." the diplomat elaborated.

"That seems awfully suspicious..." Luka commented.

"I couldn't leave the issue alone, with people vanishing. So I went as a diplomat. It was quite a nice village, very lovely. And the female Lord, Cassandra, was quite lovely herself." the diplomat recounted.

"Cassandra... Was it?" Alice said, as her eyes snapped open all of a sudden.

Of course, I already knew why.

Cassandra Nereneid.

One of the most dangerous opponents we would face.

So much so, that the Monster Lord herself would have to intervene to stop her...

I only hoped my new technique would help me defend myself long enough to grab Luka and run, if Alice didn't help like in canon.

"What's wrong?" Luka asked her.

"Ah, nothing..." Alice disclaimed, as she returned her expression neutral.

I simply looked at her for a second, before moving my gaze away.

"In the end, it turned out to be just a rumor after all. There are a lot of powerful monsters around the village, it seems like they were just attacked by them." the diplomat concluded.

"Is that really it...? I want to go there and see if there's something else..." Luka started.

"...No. Don't go close to that village." Alice spoke.

"...Why not? You know something, don't you?" Luka guessed.

"It doesn't matter, it's just my advice. Don't go near that village." Alice insisted.

Luka, however, still didn't look convinced.

We left the castle soon after.

"Alright, time for the Inn." Luka said, as the sun started setting.

We then moved to a hotel nearby.

~– ~ – ~

"But still, I feel uneasy in this town..." Luka said uncomfortably, as we put down our stuff in the room.

"Preaching to the choir here..." I dryly quipped.

"It does bug me... But more importantly, how did Grangold seal her...? Even if every human soldier here attacked her at once, I doubt they could have sealed her..." Alice muttered, before a knock resounded through the door.

"...Yes?" Luka answered, as an artificial monster looking like a humanoid doll in skimpy clothes entered the room.

"Excuse me. I came to provide you some service." the Automata Girl said in a mechanical voice.

"Eh...? 'Service'?" Luka asked in confusion.

"I'm a monster created to satisfy the lusts of men. I've been programmed with the finest of sexual skills, and boast the highest quality sexual organs in order to service guests. Which kind of service do you desire?" the monster asked emotionlessly.

I barely held myself back again.

But it was a close thing.

"N...No thank you... I don't want that..." Luka denied.

"But the meaning of my existence... I must give guests service..." the Automata Girl insisted.

The arm of the chair I was sitting on creaked ominously.

"I... I don't want it!" Luka insisted, shutting the door in front of the artificial monster, who still spoke mechanically of 'service' on the other side.

I could feel my body becoming colder and colder.

"...Those damn humans made something like that..." Alice spat out.

"Sheesh. Ilias would be horrified at this..." Luka comented.

I breathed out, managing to calm myself down a little.

After a moment of silence, Alice spoke up.

"...Well, I admire you refusing that doll's service. As a reward... I'll pleasure you with my mouth." she declared, her tone growing hungrier.

"Eh...? Waah!" Luka yelped, as Alice coiled around him again.

"One minute. Go." Alice said, like usual.

I immediately left the room from the window.

I didn't just run away aimlessly, however.

I had a desination this time.

~– ~ – ~

First, I went to the local blacksmith.

I easily found what I needed there, and had more than enough money for it, as it was quite cheap.

Then, I went towards the same laboratory we had visited earlier.

The door was now closed, as expected, but no one was guarding it.

Passing in front of the building, my aura sense did not detect anyone inside.

After checking to make sure there were no surveillance systems I could detect with it either, (I had to concentrate pretty hard, but I was now pretty sure I knew the layout of the building as well) I took out the set of lockpicks I had purchased earlier, and got to work.

I had obviously never done anything like picking a lock before, but since I could feel the internal structure of the mechanism pretty precisely with only my touch and aura senses active, it only took me a few tries to get it open.

The inside was dark, as I had expected, but I could move as easily as in the day thanks to my senses.

I closed the door behind me without locking it, and started searching the place.

I quickly realized I wouldn't be able to understand the equipment itself, so I looked for documents instead.

In a nearby desk's hidden compartment, I managed to find some papers.

Most of it was property of the scientists working here, and contained their observations and theories on the equipment itself.

They didn't know how it worked themselves, as I had expected, but still managed to guess a few things.

I could somewhat understand their work, and it was interesting to see how magic factored in on this world's creatures' biology.

Unfortunately, this was not what I needed.

I had been looking for any information on the pseudo-Six Ancestors' Seal that I knew held Queen Ant, as I knew it was a spell that dealt with pocket dimensions, making it a possible road to follow in order to find a way to get myself home.

Unfortunately, it seemed that if there was any documentation on it, it was not there.

Maybe it was in the castle's basement, where the seal itself was, I thought.

Even if it wasn't, this was my only chance to find out without Ilias suspecting a thing.

I left the building, locking the door behind me.

Then I moved towards the castle.

~– ~ – ~

Obviously, security was tighter there, but thankfully my skillset was perfect for infiltration.

I easily bypassed every Ant Girl standing guard on the way, and entered the secret passage that led downwards, after quickly finding it thanks to my aura sense again.

On the way down, I noted a powerful spell active inside the basement.

Finally I entered the lab itself, after confirming there was no one inside.

I avoided the security systems within easily enough, as they were fairly mundane and familiar to me, only a couple of cameras and sensors.

I managed to find a stack of documents hidden in a safe that was thankfully left open.

I guessed no one really bothered much with security since the place was a secret, and Ant Girls basically had the run of the place upstairs...

The documents themselves were extremely complicated compared to the other ones I had read earlier.

They didn't contain observations, but rather instructions on how to use the machines and equipment.

I instantly realized this was Promestein's work.

I immediately started scanning the pages, looking for anything useful.

Unfortunately, the mechanics behind the seal itself were not explained.

I could feel in the same room a similar seal to that I had detected on Tamamo applied to an obscured tube.

Unluckily, while I could feel some things about it, like the fact it wasn't perfect and would soon break, I didn't understand the mechanics behind it, nor did I have any idea if it could even be used to do what I wanted.

I left the lab soon after, leaving everything as it was.

My heart, however, had only grown heavier.

~– ~ – ~

I walked the streets slowly, taking my time to get back.

As I moved, I thought back on my disappointing findings.

Honestly, I should have expected it.

I mean, Promestein was smart enough not to leave around such important information, even if she had good reason to think nobody would understand it.

And besides, I was no scientist.

I had no idea where to even start on understanding the universe to the level I needed to find my way back home.

I just had hoped that with all that my mind had changed, and all the things I learned about magic through my new sense, I could have gotten a small clue...

But no, I still had nothing.

I didn't allow myself to question if that was ever going to change.

I got back to the Inn soon after, and finally went to bed.

~– ~ – ~

The next morning me Luka and Alice all left the Inn, reentering the busy streets.

"Hey, Daniel, are you ok? You look a bit..." Luka trailed off, unsure on how to end his sentence.

"I'm fine, I just didn't sleep much last night..." I assured in a tired tone.

"Really? Why is that?" Alice asked.

"No reason. It happens sometimes." I shrugged.

I wasn't entirely lying.

I did have trouble sleeping occasionally.

Though last night it had been for a different reason.

"If you say so... You do remember my offer right?" Alice said, referencing her words from back in San Ilia.

Luka looked uncomfortable at the reminder, though he tried to hide it.

"My answer's the same as last time. Thank you, but no thank you." I replied.

"You're going to fall sick if you keep neglecting yourself like this. I won't say anything else, but do take more care. It would be bothersome if you collapsed again." Alice requested, hinting at my lapse of sickness back in Sabasa.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." I assured her.

Luka just looked with a torn expression at the two of us for a few seconds, before shaking his head and changing the argument.

"Those Ant girls are hard workers..." he commented, looking at the monsters busying themselves around the streets.

"Normally they only obey the Queen Ant's orders. But for the humans to replace her orders with their own, forcing them to work..." Alice started, before a huge explosion interrupted her.

"Wh... What was that!? H... Hey! The Ant Girls...!" Luka exclaimed, as the Ant Girls stopped working and started carrying people away.

They weren't the only ones either, as the Golems started capturing people too.

The screams of the citizens quickly grew louder and louder, as the city descended into chaos.

"It can't be... A rebellion? The Ant Girls and artificial monsters are fighting back?" Luka said in disbelief.

"Sheesh, that's a bad choice of words. It's just the inevitable result that comes about from treating them like slaves." Alice scoffed, as more and more people were attacked around us.

"This isn't good, if I don't do something...!" Luka said in a worried tone.

"...Hmph. They're just reaping what they sowed. This is their reward for treating monsters like slaves. You shouldn't dawdle around here, either. Don't stick out your neck for them, and just leave the town." Alice proposed.

"L...Leave...?" Luka stammered.

"Did you forget that the people of this town have been abusing these monsters until now?" Alice deadpanned.

"I... I didn't forget... It's true this is only happening because of their actions... But I still can't just abandon them!" Luka said, his voice growing resolute.

"...Well, that's what I thought you would say. But what are you going to do against these numbers? The Ant Girls are running wild all over the town, you know?" Alice sighed.

"I know, I can't just fight them at random. You said that the Ant Girls obey the Queen Ant's orders, right? And they thought the human's orders were the Queen's orders?" Luka questioned.

"Yes. But not anymore, it seems." Alice confirmed.

"If they're rebelling like this, then they must be ignoring the humans' orders. That must mean that the Queen Ant is the one controlling them now, right? So if I can stop the Queen Ant, it should stop everything, right?" Luka deduced.

"Sounds like a plan to me. See? I told you you were smart." I smirked.

"...Hmph, you're right. It's undoubtedly the Queen Ant leading this. Even if you can't sense it, the Queen Ant's orders are being sent out via sound waves all over the town. Those waves are not only controlling the Ant Girls, but they're disturbing the thought circuits of the man-made monsters." Alice explained.

"I did wonder what that weird buzzing was this whole time... Damn thing kept me up for hours." I spoke in sudden realization.

"...I'm not even going to bother asking how you could hear that." Alice deadpanned.

"I see... So that's why the Mud Golem Girls are going on a rampage too. Alright, I'm heading to Grangold castle!" Luka declared.

"Sheesh, predictable 'I-help-everyone' Luka. I know I've said it before, but I'm not helping." Alice scoffed, before vanishing.

"Guess it's time for some practice. I still need to get a hang of my new technique, those Mud Golems look perfect for that." I said, cracking my knuckles.

"Alright, here I go!" Luka said, as we both rushed down the street, easily dodging every Ant Girl.

~– ~ – ~

Turning a corner, we suddenly came face to face with a Mud Golem Girl.

"ERROR CODE 412. ENERGY LOW. MALE CONFIRMED. BEGIN SEMEN COLLECTION." the monster droned.

"She's gone berserk..." Luka commented, as he drew his sword, summoning his spirits.

I rushed forward, avoiding the Golem's arm, and unleashing my new technique on its center mass.

The mud twisted in a spiral pattern at my quick movement, some of it splattering around me, becoming inert as soon as it left her mass.

"FOCUS ON GENITALS." the monster spoke mechanically, as some of her mud shot towards Luka's groin, but he dodged, and started wailing on the monster as well.

"BIND THE MAN." the Golem droned. I pulled back to avoid the monster's falling body, as she leaned on top of Luka, covering him with mud.

"WHILE BOUND, STIMULATE." she continued, as her mud started vibrating.

Thankfully Luka almost instantly broke free with Gnome's power.

"MALE ESCAPE CONFIRMED. ATTEMPT AGAIN." the monster droned, as Luka wailed on her again, me joining to his side with a double-handed Twisting Shadow, carving a hole in her body with pure centrifugal force.

Finally, my friend finished the fight with a Lightning Sword Flash, empowered by Sylph's wind.

"OPERATIONS HALTED." the Golem concluded, collapsing into a pile of mud.

"Whew... I have to hurry..." Luka said, as we started running again.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, we passed the same Inn we had stayed in last night.

Suddenly, a familiar monster rushed out of the entrance.

"Welcome, honored guest. Are you here for my services?" the Automata Girl from last night asked mechanically.

""Welcome"...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Understood. Please enjoy the highest possible pleasure. Ejaculation counter set to 300,000 times. I shall begin my service." the monster declared in the same voice, as Luka noticed the half-naked, collapsed men inside the Inn.

"I shall begin my service. Service begins. Begin service. My service..." the monster repeated, like a stuck record.

"...She's broken too!" Luka exclaimed, as the monster rushed us.

I closed my eyes, unwilling to see such a sad spectacle.

I knew that she wasn't fully sentient.

But seeing something this human-like in such a state...

It was heartbreaking, even for someone like me.

Nevertheless, I took a stance, and intercepted the crazed automaton, pushing her backwards.

She tried to retaliate, her hands shooting towards my waist, but I easily deflected her arms, pinning her to the ground from behind a moment later.

"Master... Would you like me to use my ass to service you?" the Automata said, attempting to rub her rump on my crotch.

Unfortunately for her, I was too far for that, and she just looked pityful wiggling her ass in the air, desperately trying to reach me.

"Luka... Just finish this." I requested in a sad tone.

"...Alright." he agreed, as he stabbed the man-made monster in the head.

"Master... Why...?" the Automata Girl asked in a mechanical tone, as she stopped moving.

I got up from her limp form. Then, after a moment of silence, I spoke up.

"Let's go. We need to end this quickly." I declared.

"Yeah. We have to hurry." Luka agreed, as we ran towards the castle.

"...Are the Ant Girls going to the castle too? Are they gathering all the citizens in the castle?" Luka guessed, noticing the direction the monsters were carrying all the people.

"I think so as well. I can feel them converging towards it." I confirmed.

"Alright, almost there...!" Luka said, as we moved the last stretch to our objective, dashing through the gates.

~– ~ – ~

As we entered the lobby, we could see a lot of men crouching and shaking in fear, the King among them.

Around them, a few Ant Girls were keeping them down.

"MANY PRISONERS COLLECTED. ONE WITH HIGH QUALITY GENES WILL BE THE QUEEN'S REPRODUCTIVE PARTNER. OTHERS WILL BE SLAVES." the monsters droned.

"So that's what they're doing... Leave this to us! Everyone else, escape!" Luka yelled, as we interposed ourslves between the monsters and the hostages.

"Eh...? E... Escape? B... But I'm too scared..." some of them protested.

I looked the King right in the eye, my expression perfectly neutral.

I could see the moment his resolve ignited.

Good.

"...Everybody, leave this to the Heroes! Now, follow me!" he decared, flashing his mantle to attract the crowd's attention.

"Not a Hero, but still get the fuck out!" I yelled at them.

Soon, the prisoners started escaping.

"WAIT! STOP THEM!" One of the monsters droned, as she tried to recapture the escapees.

Luka cut off her path with his blade, drawing the group's attention.

"I'll be your opponent!" he declared, as I used the monsters' momentary distraction to hide myself with a Broken Shadow.

"FIRST DEFEAT HIM. THEN HIS COMPANION. THEN GET THE FLEEING MEN." the first of three Ant girls said.

"THEN WE'LL PRESENT EVERYONE TO THE QUEEN." the second added.

"WAIT... WHERE DID THE OTHER ONE GO?" the last one asked, looking around in confusion.

"I won't let that happen! Prepare yourself!" Luka said, summoning his spirits, and rushing forward.

As the Ant girls tried to defend themselves from his assault, I appeared behind them, lightly pushing them off balance, making Luka's job easier without personally harming any of them.

"EVERYONE, WE HAVE TO CATCH THE OTHER ONE, HE'S WEAKER!" one of them yelled, as they all turned around and tried to jump me.

Even having anticipated it, I barely managed to get out of range in time.

The monsters were starting to get harder to deal with lately, my training and body enhancement barely keeping up with the faster and stronger opponents.

Luka used his chance to wail on them with his most powerful technique, despite their quick retaliation, consisting in a multi-handed caress of his groin from all of them.

Finally, he used his new technique to end the fight.

"AHH..." the Ant girls staggered, nearly completely sealed.

Suddenly, a voice rang out through the air, coming from the same basement I had visited last night.

"...That's enough, my cute little children. Ignore those humans and go after the escaping men." it said.

"BUT THESE HUMANS WILL ATTACK YOU..." the Ant Girls protested.

"I won't allow him to hurt my cute little children any further. I shall personally play with these humans." the voice declared.

"UNDERSTOOD, QUEEN." the monsters droned, before quickly retreating, only Luka and I left in the room.

"I heard she was under the castle... But how do I get there?" Luka pondered aloud, unsure where to go.

"...This way, Luka. The Queen's magical power is leaking out from here." Alice said, as she appeared beside us.

"...A...Alice?" Luka stammered.

"She's right. There must be a hidden passage. Here it is." I said, as I 'found' the secret door leading to the basement.

"But Alice, why are you doing this...? I thought you werent going to help us?" Luka asked in confusion, as we descended the stairs.

"That's true... But I'm involved in it this time too. How did the humans manage to seal the Queen Ant...? I need to find out. In addition, how did they create that Golem Girl..? How did humans create something of that power? As the Monster Lord, I must look into this." Alice declared, as the Spirits inside Luka started speaking to him.

"What's wrong, Sylph...? Why are you acting all funny?" Luka asked.

"Really? I thought she was always a bit strange in the head." Alice commented.

"...Is there really that strong of a barrier here? Oi, oi..." Luka stopped, as Gnome slapped Sylph multiple times in a perfect combo while they were both inside Luka.

Yep.

Still weird.

"I can feel something like that. No idea what it does tho." I confirmed, as we reached the lab itself.

~– ~ – ~

"Wh... What is this!?" Luka exclaimed, overlooking the advanced technology around us.

"Human technology has advanced this far!?" Alice questioned in surprise.

I stayed silent, just looking around with a confused expression.

"W... What's going on!? Why isn't the control working!?" a woman in wizard robes yelled, as she desperately fiddled with the control panel on one of the devices.

"What are these machines? No... What's happening!?" Luka asked, loudly, as he rushed to her.

"I... I don't know! The seal method was broken, and we can't control it any longer! Her thoughts and magic power have already leaked out of this facility... At this rate the Queen herself will be freed...!" the woman said fearfully, as Alice drew closer.

"Hey, you. I want to hear more about that. Did you all really develop this equipment here?" Alice inquired.

"What? That doesn't matter now!" the woman startled, trying to avoid the question.

I looked away from Alice's eyes, as I felt the magic concentrating in them.

"Answer! Where did these machines come from!?" Alice demanded, as her pupils flashed with power.

The woman immediately went rigid, her energy thrown in disarray.

"...We did not develop the technology here. We were given this technology for free..." the woman spoke in a lifeless voice.

"Given it for free? From who...?" Alice questioned.

"That... I don't know." the woman replied.

"Dont' lie! Some stranger gave you all this for free!? No... She can't lie as she is now... Explain it. Now." Alice ordered.

"It was five years ago..." the woman started, before recounting her first meeting with a woman with red hair wearing a white labcoat.

"Who? Some woman called Promestein?" Alice asked.

Luka and I were silent.

"At first I thought she was just some strange peddling witch... But I finally tried the device to concentrate energy... And it was incredible. It seemed to contradict everything we knew about the way the world works. I kept using it... Even though I didn't know how it worked. After that, Promestein kept coming in with more devices... A special magnetic field system, a space altering energy transference device... Because of that, Grangold leaped hundreds of years ahead of everyone else in Magic Science in a short while. We brought the magnificent results to the King... But in fact, there's nothing here that is the result of our own research. All of the technology here was given to us, and we use it without understanding how it works..." the woman explained.

"Holy shit... You couldn't even reverse-engineer it with the equipment itself? That's some crazy technology leap right there..." I whistled in an impressed tone.

"What does it mean...? Who is this Promestein person?" Alice demanded.

"All we know is that she just freely gives us technology. So we decided not to inquire about anything..." the woman responded.

"But why was she giving it to you all for free? Didn't you wonder what her purpose was?" Alice inquired.

"She claimed to just want to test it. We were told to seal the Queen Ant and deliver data on it. She wanted to test sealing powerful monsters... So that she could eventually seal the Monster Lord." the woman concluded.

"What!?" Alice said, her eyes widening.

"...Eh? Why am I telling a story while everything is going crazy!? Ahh! the main system is uncontrollable! The seal is broken... There's nothing that can be done now!" the woman said, before running away in a panic, her energy having returned to normal as Alice's concentration was broken.

As she ran, I felt the seal completely starting to disappear, the Queen Ant's aura entering the room.

"This presence... Is the Queen Ant, isn't it? It seems like the seal really was released..." Luka commented.

"What, you're just realizing that now? Anyway, that woman's story..." Alice started.

"There's a lot that bothered me about that too, but right now the crisis at hand is more important!" Luka interrupted her, unsheathing his sword, as he turned towards the Queen's aura.

"...That's right. I can't leave this insurrection alone as the Monster Lord... You'll need to excuse me. I'll let you deal with this location." Alice said, as she started to leave.

"Wait! I'm coming with you. Luka, be careful down here. I'll try to keep the people of the town safe while you finish this." I declared, aware that a monster Queen was way too much for the current me.

"...Alright. Stay safe." Luka requested, before Alice and I left the basement.

~– ~ – ~

"Are you sure you want to leave him alone down there?" Alice asked me as we ascended the stairs.

"I would just be a burden in such a fight... I know my limits." I drily stated, feeling frustrated at my own weakness.

"I see..." Alice acknowledged, as we exited the hidden passage.

"What are you actually planning? Are we going after the King?" I asked.

"...! You already noticed, huh... As expected of you." she said in a slightly impressed tone.

"It's a good move. Let's go." I shrugged, as we both blurred towards the King's aura.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, we were in front of him, Alice not bothering with a human disguise.

"Wawawa... M... Monster?" the King stammered as he looked at her, a group of citizens hiding behind him.

"Don't worry, I don't mean you any harm. I'm worried about this insurrection." Alice reassured.

"Wh... Why is this happening...? We didn't do anything wrong...!" the King stammered in confusion.

"...Really? Is that what you truly think? So, slavery is perfectly acceptable to you?" I dryly remarked.

"...Sheesh, that lack of awareness is your biggest crime. The future of your country is bleak. You will become simple slaves of the Ant Girls at this rate. All that awaits you are endless days of backbreaking labor... Haha." Alice chuckled.

"N...No way... This is horrible..." the King said in terror.

"You don't have the right to denounce their actions after what you did." I declared in a harsh tone.

"Wh... What do you mean?" the King asked in befuddlement.

"...That 'horrible' thing is what you've inflicted on the Ant Girls until now." Alice concluded.

"...Eh?" the King exclaimed in confusion.

"Think of what you've been doing to the Ant Girls until now. And what that means for you as the King." Alice ordered.

"And as a person too, if it pleases you 'your majesty'." I added in an unimpressed tone.

"What it means... As the King... And as a person..." the King trailed off, his expression growing thoughtful for a while.

He opened his eyes again, now filled with resolve.

"Take me to the Queen Ant, please. I must end this." he requested with a clear voice.

I sighed wordlessly, as Alice grabbed him and we both blurred towards the castle again.

~– ~ – ~

We entered the room just as Luka was about to seal the defeated Queen.

"Please, stop this already. If you don't, I'll have to seal you again..." Luka pleaded.

"...I don't intend to beg for my life, nor do I intend to stop my revenge. I will not stop until I rule over this town and enslave all the humans." the Ant Queen declared, even on her knees.

"Wait!" Alice and I yelled, entering the room with the King in tow.

"...Who are you? What business does a powerful monster like you have here? It can't be... Are you...!?" the Queen Ant stammered, as she studied Alice, before her eyes widened in surprise.

"It's just as you think. However right now, my identity doesn't matter. This man wants to say something. You should listen too, Queen Ant." Alice declared, dropping the King of Grangold in front of the Queen Ant.

"Very well... Since it's an order from you." the monster nodded respectfully at Alice, before turning in anger towards the King of Grangold.

"...What do you want to say!? What does the one in charge of oppressing me and my children wish to say!?" she demanded.

"...That's right, I was the one in charge. I'll become your slave." the King acknowledged in a resolute voice.

"...Is this a jest? You are a leader like me, are you not!? Do you have no pride at all!?" the Queen Ant shouted.

"I'm not making a joke, I mean it. In trade... Will you please forgive the rest of the citizens?" the King humbly pleaded.

"...I see, so you are trying to bargain. Did you think I would simply nod my head and agree? Do you understand how much suffering you humans caused my children and I!?" she furiously accused.

"I know... I know now, but didn't before... To ask for forgiveness now is selfish, I know..." the King acknowledged.

"Then why!?" the Queen demanded.

"...We didn't notice. We thought the Ant Girls were like unfeeling machines... We never considered them actual beings... Just dolls with hands and feet to work. As for the Queen... We thought you were an evil existence outside human understanding." the King explained.

" No! We're..." the Queen started.

"...That's what we all thought until this happened. You have feelings just like us... The days they went through until now were full of pain and suffering. And for you to be kept imprisoned and sealed as your children suffered... We... We didn't realize that monsters had the exact same thoughts and feelings as humans..." the King concluded, as his gaze affixed itself to the ground in shame and guilt.

"Queen Ant, don't you think the same way? These tiny, weak humans are undeserving of any notice, are they not? Their lives are meaningless when compared to your powerful existence, right? But the feelings these humans hold are the same as us monsters. They feel sadness, pain and happines, just as we do. Just because they are weaker than you does not mean that they cannot feel the same things you do." Alice spoke to the Queen, as she looked thoughtful.

"And just because someone is powerful beyond understanding, it doesn't mean they are any different either. Power and emotion are not tied together. No matter how strong or weak one is physically or magically, their hearts can still be fragile as glass." I added, looking towards the King.

He just bowed his head even lower.

"..If you do the same thing as the humans did, then this entire situation will repeat. Only this time you will be the one treating the enslaved humans as unfeeling dolls. You will be the same as the oppressor you feel so much hatred towards right now... Now then, I'm tired. You take over talking, Luka. This is where your little dream world building comes into play, right?" Alice requested, turning to Luka, as he startled at suddenly being put on the spot.

"...Eh? M...Me? Shouldn't Daniel do it?" Luka timidly questioned.

"Nope. This is your job, Hero." I denied.

"I really hate when you use that word against me..." Luka said in annoyance.

I agreed completely...

"Humans and monsters don't really understand each other at the moment... I think... But deep down we're all the same... If we, uh, try to talk to each other and understand our differences we'll be able to get along... As we grow to know each other more... We'll, err, solve our issues." Luka stammered, desperately trying to sound certain, and failing miserably.

"...Yeah, we're gonna have to work on your speeches." I quipped, earning myself a glare from him.

"...It's just as the idiot said. You don't understand humans either, Queen Ant. This retaliation won't solve anything... Won't you stop this now? For your own sake, this should end now." Alice proposed.

"If it's an order from you, I have no choice but to reconcile with them..." the monster Queen said in a resigned tone.

"I'm not giving you any stupid orders like that. If you can't bring yourself to reconcile with them, then this evil will continue." Alice declared neutrally.

The Queen Ant was silent at that, before turning back to the King.

"...Do you regret from the bottom of your heart the labor forced on my children?" she finally asked, looking at the King.

"...Yes, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. If you desire, I shall have all of the citizens apologize too. Surely they all realize the grievous error we have made until now." the King said in a sure tone.

"Frome here on and forever after, do you vow never to do anything similar?" the queen questioned.

"...Of course. We now know that you have the same heart as us humans. It wouldn't be possible to force labor on anyone like that." the King declared.

"Very well... Then let's assume it has ended. Perhaps our rebellion has crossed a line, too." the Queen conceded.

"Eh, I wouldn't say the rebellion was the issue, more like what you planned to do afterwards..." I shrugged wryly.

The Queen nodded wordlessly.

"Then...?" Luka drowled hopefully.

"I shall release all of the captured humans. King, I believe in your words..." the Queen Ant declared, ending the conflict once and for all.

Another step done.

But our journey was still long...

~– ~ – ~

We left the castle soon after, the Ant Girls releasing the captured humans as promised, and the rulers both explained the situation to the crowd together with a pretty impressive speech, especially compared to Luka's.

I guess he wasn't King for nothing huh?

Still, he should have known better...

Eh, whatever.

It was over now.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, we met the two rulers in a warehouse that had become a temporary audience hall because of the damages in the castle.

"Really, thank you for everything you've done. Words alone are unable to describe how indebted to you we are." the King said gratefully.

"I too was about to commit a grave error. The humans I was going to oppress all have fathers and mothers who would have grieved for them as I grieved for my children. Just as I have a bond with my children, so do the humans have bonds with theirs. I did not realize it... I viewed humans as evil and unable to feel emotions as I did." the Queen Ant admitted with a regretful tone.

Mothers and fathers, huh?

I couldn't help but wonder how mine were doing...

Probably better without me to be honest.

"This town that we destroyed, we shall help rebuild. After that... Well, that will be saved for later. My children do not seem to dislike living in this town. If the humans permit it, we may stay in this town." she continued.

"The belief through the world is that humans and monsters live here in perfect coexistence... But that wasn't true. I intend to make that falsehood a reality, and let human and monster live here in harmony." the King declared.

From falsehood to truth, huh?

I sorta wished I could do the same...

But my lies were not so easy to make real.

"I wish for the same. Searching for a solution together with the humans may not be a bad idea." the Queen agreed.

"Luka, you set out to make a world where humans and monsters can coexist, right? Those thoughts of yours are what has saved this town." the King said gratefully.

"Ah, no, I think what you did was more important. Acknowledging your mistakes, apologizing and setting things right..." Luka disclaimed.

"Speaking of that, it was your friends that brought me to my senses..." the King said, before recounting our meeting during the fight Luka had with the Queen Ant.

"Your words were straight to the point, and sharp enough to cut through my illusions. I must thank you both for that." he concluded, looking at me and Alice.

"Eh, I was honestly just pissed off, no need to thank me for venting." I shrugged.

Alice was silent.

"To think we were so foolish as to not even realize what we were doing..." the King trailed off.

"So that's what happened..." Luka said, proudly smiling at me.

God, he was going to be so annoying later, I just knew it...

"That's why I cannot show you my thanks enough. I wish to give you some sort of gift, but everything is tied up in the repairs..." the King mournfully said.

"Don't worry about a gift... Right, Alice." Luka turned to her.

"Ah... What? N...No gift..." Alice stammered with a sad look.

"A... Anyway, we have to be going soon. There's a lot more we have left to do." Luka concluded.

"I see, that's too bad... I wish you safety on your travels!" the King said.

"I thank you too, human Hero. And your friend too. And..." Queen Ant trailed off.

"...I'm a travelling gourmet." Alice declared.

"...Thank you, Miss Gourmet. I will never forget this favor." she finished.

"Then, we're off!" Luka said, as we waved back to the two rulers, leaving the warehouse.

~– ~ – ~

"...This time, I'm sure everything will turn out well." Luka said in a serene tone, looking at the town being repaired by both humans and monsters in collaboration.

"Hm... I wonder... There may be many humans who will be afraid of the Ant Girls after what happened." Alice pondered.

"D... Don't say that..." Luka pleaded dejectedly.

"But there will be many who will repent as the King has. Which path will most of the citizens take, I wonder?" Alice thought aloud.

"After what happened here... I realize that understanding each other is important. If everyone is able to understand the feelings of those of other races, then I'm sure we'll all be able to live in peace..." Luka said hopefully.

"So... You don't believe anyone understands each other right now? Humans don't understand monsters, and monsters don't understand humans?" Alice inquired.

"Humans and monsters are different, that's a fact... But just because they have differences, it doesn't mean it's not possible for them to understand each other's feelings." Luka declared.

"So we have to understand our differences as we struggle for coexistence?" Alice deduced.

"Yes, that's it! So you do get it, Alice!" Luka said happily.

"I'm just teasing you, you idiot. But I do see where you're coming from. Even I thought humans were barbaric savages that attacked indiscriminately before I set out on this journey." Alice reminisced.

"Me too... Honestly, I still had some prejudice against monsters before I started traveling with you." Luka confessed.

"Hmph... It's true spending time together has knocked down those walls. But until it happens everywhere, it won't end." Alice acknowledged.

"I know it's important for everyone to be able to think like that... But there are still a lot of obstacles in the way stopping that understanding from taking place... Daniel, what do you think about this?" Luka asked turning to me.

I was silent for a moment, before I scratched my head wryly and spoke up.

"Well... My thoughts are kind of different from you two. I mean, I obviously agree that peace is possible, if not outright inevitable, as I already mentioned... But there's also the fact that true, complete understanding is a bit of a pipe dream in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I believe in empathy, and I agree that people can get along and comprehend and appreciate parts of each other. But fully knowing who another individual is, every part of their experiences and personality is just not possible without becoming the other person yourself. As for differences, stuff like race only matters to those who care about it. There is really no reason monsters and humans can't be friends regardless of differences, like humans can hate or love other humans and monsters like or dislike other monsters. What matters is the individual, not the group they belong to. Of course, this is just my opinion, I don't expect many other people to share it..." I shrugged.

They both looked at me, blinking for a moment, before nodding thoughtfully.

After a minute of silence, Luka raised his head and spoke.

"Besides... Just who was that Promestein person?" he asked thoughtfully.

"I didn't think such technology existed in human society..." Alice pondered.

"...Is she not a human? Then is she a monster?" Luka guessed.

"...I don't know." Alice admitted.

I could only stay silent, looking curious as well, as Ilias' gaze was always upon us...

~– ~ – ~

We left the town soon after, headed to our next destination.

Hopefully, we would make it in time...

I had done my best to keep us on schedule so far.

I could only pray it would be enough.


	38. Chapter 38: Paying the price of power

"Alright, let's go to the Succubus village!" Luka declared, as we moved on the road.

"...Damn pervert." Alice deadpanned.

"Th...That's not it! I can't just leave a village about to be attacked alone! Help me out here, Daniel!" Luka pleaded. Alice didn't seem to care for his plight.

"Sorry, no can do Hero, you're the one who goes around saving people, this is part of the job too." I said neutrally.

Inwardly, I was snickering at their usual antics.

Seriously, the way these two danced around each other was better than any comedy back home.

Not to say I didn't still miss those though...

"Oh, come on! You're going there too, why doesn't Alice say anything about it!?" Luka questioned in exasperation.

"Because I already declared I don't have any interest in casual sex, Mr. I-must-take-the-enemy's-pleasure-attacks." I quipped.

"I don't do that because I like it! It's just an effective fighting style..." Luka weakly protested.

"...Pervert." Alice repeated.

Luka could only blush furiously at that, stammering incoherently.

~– ~ – ~

We kept moving towards the Succubus village soon after that.

However, as we drew closer to it, I started feeling not-so-great.

It all started with a simple headache.

I thought nothing of it, as I had been having trouble sleeping for the last few days.

Of course, my condition only grew worse from there...

~– ~ – ~

"Hey, Daniel, are you ok? You don't look so good..." Luka asked as we walked the last stretch towards the village.

"...I'm ok, I just have this headache. I think I may be catching a cold." I replied, feeling like every part of my body was made of lead, my head pounding like someone was hitting it with a sledgehammer.

"You look like death warmed over. You should really take it easy for a while." Alice said in a slightly concerned tone.

"I'll rest at the Inn after we're done gathering information. I just need to catch up on some sleep is all." I assured.

"If you say so... Just don't force yourself, alright?" Luka pleaded.

"I'll be fine. It's just a cold. You know I recover quickly from these things. I'll probably be perfectly healthy tomorrow morning." I said hopefully, as we finally entered Succubus village.

Of course, I should have known better than to say something so utterly idiotic.

Unfortunately, I had temporarily forgotten the first rule for survival in any universe consisting in three simple words.

Never.

Tempt.

Fate.

~– ~ – ~

"This is the Succubus village? It seems so lifeless..." Luka commented, looking at the few people and soldiers still present in town.

"The Purple Sabbath is tonight. Tonight the purple moon will be full..." Alice explained.

"I got here in the nick of time... Even a day late and getting here would have been wasted effort." Luka pointed out.

I inwardly exulted, even as my head throbbed in pain.

I had done it.

This had been the most worrisome thing to keep tabs on.

Such time-sensitive events were rare during the game, but they had to be done.

The consequences from skipping even one could have been devastating.

But we had made it.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that we started gathering information around the village.

Most men were here for either fighting or not at all, while the women were few and resigned to a night of terror, unable to leave.

"Young man over there, would you like your fortune told? Since the village is in such a horrid state, I'll do it for free!" a woman in a strange witch-like outfit offered, looking at my friend.

There was something I should have known about her, but my thoughts and senses were getting hazy as my head and body felt sore and sick.

"Sure..." Luka agreed, not seeing the harm in it.

"Hmmm... I sense issues with women. There is surely going to be trouble with women ahead for you... Well? Did I get it right?" the woman questioned.

"Amazing! That's exactly right! How do I avoid it!?" Luka demanded.

"That's just your fate. Surrender to it." the woman winked.

"What? That's awful..." Luka trailed off.

"Fate can always be changed." I clearly stated, even with my head feeling like it was being split apart.

I had to believe that.

I needed to.

Everyone looked at me strangely for a moment, my friends in concern, the woman with slight interest.

Finally, Luka spoke up again.

"Anyway, why haven't you evacuated?" he inquired to the soothsayer.

"Even if trouble is coming, I won't turn tail and run. If the Succubi come, I'll just offer them my trade..." the woman replied.

"You have some guts..." Luka praised.

"By the way, do you know why the Succubi attack the people here?" the soothsayer questioned.

"Err... Because tonight their magic will be at their most powerful. So they all group together and attack at the same time... right?" Luka guessed.

"...Too bad, but you're a little off. If it was an ordinary Purple Sabbath, you would be correct. But there's a different purpose this time... They're grouping up to fulfill... another purpose." the woman misteriously declared.

"Another purpose...? What is it?" Luka inquired.

"Hehe... That's a secret. When tonight comes, you'll understand..." the soothsayer giggled.

"How do you know such a thing...? You must be a really powerful soothsayer!" Luka exclaimed in awe.

"Th... Thanks..." the woman stammered in surprise.

"...Damn idiot." Alice muttered, before looking at me in worry.

I barely managed to keep myself from trembling.

We moved on soon after, looking for more intel.

~– ~ – ~

On the way, we passed by the village chief's house.

"Welcome, Heroes. I'm the chief of this village." the chief greeted us.

She looked like a young girl with green hair, wearing a frilly dress.

"Not a Hero. Just a traveler." I disclaimed automatically, even as my vision grew hazier.

"He... Hello..." Luka greeted the young woman.

"You know, right... Every 100 years, the Succubi attack this village in a large group. It's called the Purple Sabbath. And it's going to happen tonight." the chief said.

"Yes. I came here to defend the village against that!" Luka declared.

"Hehe... That will be a big help. We can always do with more strong men..." the chief trailed off with an innocent tone.

"Ye... Yes... Thank you..." Luka stammered with a slight blush.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Mr Cute Hero." the girl giggled.

"Le.. Leave it to me..." Luka assured, before we left the house.

At this point I was at my limit.

~– ~ – ~

Thankfully, we reached the local Inn soon after.

"It looks like the Innkeeper evacuated." Luka commented, leaving some money on the counter for all of us.

This Inn apparently only had double rooms at most, and Alice and Luka decided they would leave me a single one so that I could rest.

I didn't have the energy to argue.

"Alright, call us if you need anything." Luka requested, as I started putting my stuff down on the room's floor.

"Try to get some rest. You really shouldn't push yourself like this." Alice said in concern.

"I told you, I'll be fine, it's just a cold, I'll be all better tomorrow." I assured.

After a couple more seconds, Luka closed the door, leaving me some privacy.

~– ~ – ~

I closed the blinds on the outside of the windows and pulled the curtains, the room becoming darker.

I shed my clothes, my body feeling too hot for even pajamas.

Then I slipped my sore body inside the light bedsheets and tried to get some sleep.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be so easy...

The more time passed, the worse my condition grew.

Hot, cold, it didn't matter, I couldn't be anything but uncomfortable.

I desperately tried to force my body still, but the tremors were uncontrollable, my muscles screaming in pain at every twitch.

I still stubbornly kept my voice from leaking out, unwilling to risk compromising the evening's events in any way.

Everything just HURT so much...

And then, the purple moon rose, a violet light passing through the metal blinds and glass.

And the true pain started.

I fell to the floor, feeling like my body was simultaneously freezing and on fire, everything blurring around me.

I desperately attempted to crawl to the door, but my limbs didn't listen to me.

I tried to call for help when I couldn't take it anymore, but my voice refused to come out.

I could feel every inch of my body tearing itself apart, as if trying to consume itself.

Then merciful darkness took me.

But I soon woke up again.

I kept falling in and out of consciouness, my world one of infinite pain, time seeming to stretch on forever...

I could feel Luka move out of his bed when midnight came.

He stopped in front of my room, and I dared to hope he would come in and save me.

But his next words I heard, muffled by the closed door crushed that thought mercilessly.

"Alice, are you here?" Luka asked.

After a few seconds, Alice appeared, still hiding her aura.

"What? I'm not going to help you." she immediately declared.

"I know. But Daniel needs to rest. Can you do something to keep him safe?" Luka requested.

"...Fine. I'll just cast an impenetrable barrier on this room. Be thankful." Alice scoffed.

I desperately tried to call out to her, to stop her in any way, but as her aura surged, particles of darkness passing through me, the agony was enough to paralyze me completely.

My consciousness faded once more, the black void of a dreamless sleep a sweet relief from the impossible torture.

All was silent for a time, as my mind was filled only with a quiet stillness.

~– ~ – ~

Suddenly, the darkness was forced back by a bright light, my awareness returning in less than a second, as my eyes opened.

The pain was over.

However, my body still felt...

Wrong.

I got up from the floor, staggering, and almost falling a couple times.

I blinked away the blurriness, my sight slowly starting to focus.

I coughed softly, my throat dry, before automatically moving towards my waterskin.

I quickly drained it, my dehydrated body reveling in the sweet relief of moisture.

Then my eyes fell to the mirror hanging on the wall.

I stared numbly at my reflection for a moment.

Then I dropped the empty waterskin on the ground.

My breathing grew ragged again, as I trembled in undescribeable panic.

My own face stared back at me in horror from the reflective surface.

But the creature wearing it...

Was all but human.

I still had no aura of my own.

But everything else had changed.

Hard, dark green scales covered my forearms and legs, my fingers ending in sharp claws.

I idly noted that the Dragon Seal from the Pyramid was still visible on the same hand as before.

Bat-like wings grew from my back, leathery and dark red in color, the demonic look they gave me emphasized by the black horns growing out of the back of my head, curved forward.

My hair had become a familiar shade of silver, and two white fox ears twitched on top of my head, their shape and color matching the nine tails coming out of my back.

On my chest and face, tribal tatoo-like patterns covered me in a perfect symmetry, my sculpted abs looking solid as marble.

Finally, Alice's reptile-like eyes stared back at me, their golden color slightly darker than the originals'.

"No..." I numbly breathed out, as I felt my new limbs move according to my will, any discomfort gone after I noticed their existance, now able to control them as if I always had them.

But I knew that wasn't true.

It couldn't be.

In fact, I didn't want to believe they existed.

But they did.

And so, that had been my last day as a human...

"No... Go away... Go away!" I desperately pleaded, collapsing on my now armored knees, the wooden floor slightly scratched by my sharp scales.

I didn't care about anything else.

I just wanted my body back.

I needed it.

I couldn't live without it.

How was I going to explain this?

Not only to my friends in this world, but also to my family if I ever managed to find a way back.

Just how was I going to tell my mom her son wasn't even the same species as her anymore?

I concentrated as hard as I could, desperately trying to impose my will over reality, fully expecting it to be useless...

But instead, as if my prayers had been heard, I felt my body shift again.

I looked at my arms, as the scales and claws slowly retracted, going back to their previous human appearance.

The fox ears, and tails retracted into my mass, my wings and horns following suit.

My hair and eyes went back to their usual color, my tatoo-like patterns fading into my skin.

I looked numbly at my reflection once more, confirming that, indeed, I looked human again.

But I knew this was only a facade.

I could still feel the changes to my physique, and knew instinctively I could have reversed this restricting disguise anytime I wanted to, returning to full power and comfort in the process.

I didn't care.

I still wept gratefully, knowing it was not over.

I could still go on.

I could still live as myself.

Even if I wasn't ever going to be the same again.

Thus, I lost my humanity.

And gained the strenght I had wished for.

I still would never have accepted that deal willingly...

I passed the rest of the night hugging myself and whimpering, still with my knees on the scratched floor, my eyes now perfectly able to see through the darkness in the room.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, I automatically dressed myself, and picked up my gear, before heading to the door, the barrier Alice the evening before had erected now gone.

I would have to make some adjustments to my clothes in the future, lest I tear them apart or crush my new limbs inside them.

Hopefully I wouldn't need to go back to my new base form anytime soon.

There was no way I could show it around, much less to Luka and Alice.

"Hey, Daniel! How are you feeling?" Luka asked, seeing me come out of my room on my own.

"I told you it would pass quickly. Did anything happen last night? I felt something weird in the atmosphere for a while, but I was too tired to move..." I questioned, trying to keep my voice nonchalant.

"Yeah, you kind of missed a lot of things, I didn't want to disturb you since you needed rest..." Luka said, before recounting the struggles he had the night before.

Everything had gone well, it seemed.

I guessed it was Alice's life-sharing spell that had woken me up after the Sabbath was over.

For once I was thankful for her lack of control with her own magic.

"And so, now the village is peaceful again. Though the men are still being milked..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

"I noticed. There are like ten of them inside my range having their fun right now." I said in annoyance, my aura sense still unchanged by the night's events.

At least something was still familiar.

"Wow... You really are a natural-born voyeur." Alice said in an impressed tone.

Normally I'd have retorted.

But I just couldn't find the energy.

"Whatever. Let's just leave if Luka is done here." I said in an uncaring tone, before turning to Luka.

"Sure, I think we're done here. We can go." Luka acquiesced.

Alice looked at me strangely for a moment.

I simply ignored her.

~– ~ – ~

As we were about to leave the village, the Succubi and men came to see Luka off.

"I heard that you're on a journey to promote coexistance between humans and monsters. Is that why you came to this village to help build this utopia for us?" the village chief asked, her human disguise now gone, showing off her true appearance as a Succubus.

"Err... Well..." Luka stammered, blushing lightly.

"Thank you for helping us create a place where we can live!" the monster that had disguised herself as a soothsayer said gratefully.

"Even though we were in control of this village for so long... We still couldn't freely ask for human cooperation." one of two twin blonde Succubi said.

I knew their name to be Lilith and Lilim, even before Luka had recounted the night's events.

"Sister, Immigrants are arriving from all over the world... All to give us their energy..." Lilim spoke in a dreamy tone.

"Errr... Well... Isn't that, uh... Great...?" Luka stammered uncomfortably.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

I looked away towards nothing.

"T...Travelers... G... Good... Ah... L... Luck..." one of the men moaned, as the succubi never stopped stimulating them.

"Ahh... D... Do your... Ah! Your best... We'll do... Ahhhh! Our best... Too..." another continued.

"Ahhh... That feels... Ahh..." the last one groaned in pleasure.

I could only stand there, unmoving.

Even if I didn't look, I could still feel everything within my aura sense.

I ignored my body reacting to the mental sensations and images.

"You all too... Uh... Good luck..." Luka said, blushing even more.

"If you're ever nearby, please stop in and visit. We'll always give you a warm welcome..." the Succubus Witch winked at Luka, before turning to face me.

"Of course, you're welcome to live here, too... I'd be glad to give you or your friend a taste of heaven every day..." she trailed off seductively.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm good." I flatly denied.

She looked slightly disappointed, but didn't press the issue.

"I... I'm going now! Goodbye!" Luka shrieked, as he started running out of the village.

I followed suit, Alice leisurely slithering beside me.

~– ~ – ~

"You do realize I could tell you were aroused, right? My offer is still valid." Alice reminded me, as we left the town behind us.

"No. I'm fine." I simply stated, ending the conversation.

Of course, I was lying out of my ass.

I wouldn't be fine for a long time.

But she couldn't help me anyway.

As we walked away, I silently gave a last farewell to my previous life spent as another species.

At least now my body matched how I always felt lately.

Messed up beyond belief.

Only, while my mind could possibly one day be normal again, my body was never going to do the same...


	39. Chapter 39: Losing an argument

As we moved back to the road again, I finally took the time to go over the changes from the night before in a more emotionally detached manner.

I hadn't forgotten the way the Purple Sabbath actually was supposed to happen, despite Alice never mentioning it in my presence and the haze I was in right before it.

But I had assumed that the part about humans turning to monsters wouldn't apply to me.

First of all, I was a male, and male monsters were unique enough that not even one ever appeared even in the original game.

Secondarily, I had assumed that the way the transformation happened was through awakening the dark power already present within the women themselves, perhaps because of their ancestry.

Instead, it seemed like the purple moon altered the properties of Dark energy in general, somehow accelerating the process of monsterization I had evidently been undergoing since I first came in contact with it.

I had no idea how or why that was, but the results were proof enough for me to get to that conclusion with little doubt.

Still, another question was just what the hell I had turned into.

My new base form looked like a mishmash of various body parts that did not belong to a sole species.

If I didn't know better, I'd have thought Promestein had something to do with it, seeing as she worked on chimeras made up of different monsters.

Just what had I become...?

Wait.

Something was familiar about my new appearance, now that I noticed.

Multiple things in fact.

Alice's hair and eyes were obvious enough, and I had recognized them instantly.

But the rest of my changes had a close resemblance to other monsters I knew as well.

Scales and claws on my arms and legs from a Dragon-kin.

Wings and horns from a Succubus.

Ears and tails from a Kitsune.

If I assumed that my capability to alter my body's appearance came from a Slime's protean body...

Then I was like a mixed bag of traits belonging to the strongest monsters I had met.

But how was this possible?

Did their energy affect my transformation as well?

Was passing by them once or twice enough to trigger such a visceral evolutionary response?

I still had no aura of my own, elemental or otherwise.

Maybe some trace of their power had lingered within me after meeting them?

I had never felt anything like that, however...

Perhaps my body had collected information from their energy and used it to rewrite my own DNA later, possibly aided in doing so by the excited dark energy during the Sabbath?

I remembered the pain suddenly increasing as Alice's aura surged, before losing consciousness.

That was probably when the actual change happened, as before my body didn't have enough energy to actually create new mass for itself, and tried to convert it from my reserves, causing my own cells to start consuming themselves...

Well, maybe.

Still, regardless of speculations, one thing was for sure.

I would hide this new power as long as possible.

Thankfully Ilias hadn't left her scrying spell behind when Luka had left the Inn.

I had felt it follow him out, not once entering the room I was in, even before Alice put up her barrier.

I would keep this new advantage to myself, as I for once had an actual ace up my sleeve.

My future knowledge didn't count, as I couldn't actively use it to prevent the invasion in the first place, only being able to use it to manipulate others for the sake of my own survival in subtle ways.

This power, however, I could actually use to fight later on.

I could tell that, even in my restricting human disguise, my strenght and speed had increased exponentially.

I had no idea how I compared to say, Tamamo or Granberia themselves, but I was certainly far more powerful than I ever had been.

And in my new base form, that difference was even greater, my armored body, increased number of usable limbs, and added tridimensional maneuverability thanks to my wings making my combat potential skyrocket.

If I could actually use any of them that is...

I still hadn't tried them out yet for obvious reasons.

...Was I scared of heights?

I supposed I would have to find out, since I could probably fly now.

Despite the advantages, however, I also would have traded this new body for my old one in a heartbeat...

~– ~ – ~

"That story about Lady's village is still bugging me..." Luka suddenly spoke up, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I said not to go near that village, but... When have you ever listened to my warnings?" Alice sighed in exasperation.

"If you're saying that, then something must be happening there. There must be something harassing people..." Luka guessed.

"Hmph, stop trying to sound like you're smart. Anyway, I won't get involved in this. I don't have a reason to stick my neck into this." Alice declared.

"I can't leave something dangerous there after finding out about it... If I did, the number of victims would just keep increasing..." Luka said in concern.

"Sheesh... Off to see if you can get killed again. That death wish is going to be granted to you one day, you know." Alice deadpanned.

"I don't have a death wish. Now come on Alice, Daniel, let's go." Luka declared, moving forward.

Alice scowled at him.

I simply followed wordlessly.

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, I began to leave our camp at night.

I waited for about an hour every time Luka fell asleep, as Ilias would only stop watching him then.

I guess even a Goddess needed her 'beauty sleep' as she probably would have put it herself.

It seemed like I apparently didn't, however.

In fact, I always felt more energized at night.

Was I nocturnal now?

It would make sense, considering my improved darkvision.

On the fist night, I took the time to adjust myself to changing back and forth from my disguised form to my base one.

After a couple hours of single-minded practice, the change became easier and easier, the time needed to perform it downed to only about one second, both ways.

I also made a couple of holes in the back of my Enrikan shirt and hoodie for my wings, despite the difficulty in piercing the tough material of the former.

At least until I decided to use my own sharp claws to do the job instead of the small dagger...

I also proceeded to sew their sides so that they wouldn't grow any larger.

Thankfully, I had a little experience in sewing, and my dexterity had seemingly improved along with everything else.

~– ~ – ~

On the second night, I tested my strenght in both forms.

I obviously went pretty far from our encampment for this one.

The results were quite impressive.

I could grip rocks to pieces in my disguised form, and grind them to dust in my new base one.

When I actually punched a big boulder in my disguised form, I left a crater in it as large as my own torso.

I completely destroyed one that was even bigger using my new true body.

I could still use all of my techniques, though I had to make a few adjustments to compensate for my new limbs.

Thankfully, I had the time for it.

~– ~ – ~

The night after, I decided to test my tails and wings.

The tails were easy to manipulate, strong and fast.

I whipped a few rocks to pieces with them, and barely felt a thing.

I also could easily utilize them to grip trees into splinters.

Apparently I could also harden them by compressing the fur, turning them into fairly lethal lances, though I supposed this was more Erubetie's influence rather than Tamamo's.

There were just so many ways to use them!

I even tried walking using them instead of my legs, and successfully climbed stone walls by piercing them with their tips.

They were also incredibly fluffy, which was weird on so many levels, especially with how sensitive my scaled hands actually were despite their improved hardness...

Then it was time to learn how to fly.

Needless to say, I was both excited and nervous.

Humanity had always dreamed to fly, one way or another.

I had been on planes before, though not many times, and I didn't have any problem then.

However, this was different.

I took a deep breath and unfurled my wings completely, noting that my wingspan was actually pretty considerable.

I shook them lightly, getting a feeling for the air they moved.

Then I started lightly flapping them, gusts of wind being raised by them.

After little more hesitation, I started putting more force in it.

My feet left the ground soon after...

Needless to say, I almost immediately crashed into a tree headfirst.

After I managed to extract my horns from the bark, I sighed in annoyance and dusted myself off.

I could already tell they would be annoying in the future, though, thankfully, they at least were positioned in a way that didn't really restrict my vision, the tips barely visible to me if I focused on the edge of it.

I soon shook off the embarrassment, thankful that at least no one but me would ever need to know about it, and started my second attempt.

This time, I went a bit easier on the force, focusing more on the direction.

My feet left the ground again, dangling above it.

I was now stably ascending.

I flapped my wings harder, rising upwards a bit further.

I was now at about five meters from the soil, my new limbs completely unfazed by the effort.

I decided to try and land as slowly as possible.

Thankfully, it went without a hitch, and I didn't even falter as my scaled feet touched the ground.

Deeming my second experiment a success, I called it a night.

~– ~ – ~

A day later, I decided to experiment with my shapeshifting.

I didn't plan to go crazy with it, I just wanted to try and transform certain body parts and leave others out.

It turned out to be far easier than I had expected.

A few minutes after starting, I was in my human form, with only my arms covered in dark green scales.

Then I turned them back to human, and unfurled my wings instead.

Then I drew them back in, and grew my tails instead.

Then I did the same with my horns.

I was actually pretty good at it.

I also noted that my balance seemingly never suffered from the abrupt changes.

I declared it another success, and started working on my flight again.

By the end of the night, I could move fairly agilely in the air, though I did crash a couple more times...

Thankfully, my body was now durable enough to handle the impacts easily, and I never fell out of the air after that, though I wasn't going to be trying loops and tricks for a while.

Still, flying on my own wings had been...

Just incredible.

I don't think I could ever describe how unrestrained I felt up there in the sky.

It was like the air itself had become like the water had always been for me, synonym with joy and freedom.

I Idly wondered how my new body would behave in water now.

I hoped it would still be possible for me to swim.

Flying was nice, but I still loved water...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, the day after, we reached our destination.

"Is this Lady's village...?" Luka pondered, as we entered the quiet-looking, beautiful village.

"It doesn't look like anything strange is happening... Eh? Alice?" Luka stopped, looking around for our missing friend.

I could still feel her aura though, as she hadn't actually concealed it like usual this time.

She wasn't the only monster around either, but I didn't mention that to Luka.

"Should we talk to the people around the village first?" Luka proposed.

I simply shrugged in response.

He looked a bit bothered by something for a moment, but we soon moved on.

~– ~ – ~

"Oh my... Travelers? This is a wonderful village for just relaxing. Please enjoy your stay here, and may the fatigue from your travels melt away." a lady dressed in an elegant white dress kindly offered, as we approached her to gather information.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask you something... Have any other male travelers visited this village recently?" Luka questioned.

"Of course... This is an open village, after all. Though most of them seem to leave right away. Is there something wrong?" the lady answered.

"No..." Luka said, before ending the conversation politely.

I could feel the gaze of the lady fixed on my friend's back as we walked away.

~– ~ – ~

"Oh my, how rare. Travelers? Even more, such a young boy too!" another elegant woman with a parasol said, looking at Luka with interest.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask you something... Have any other travelers visited this village recently?" Luka inquired.

"My, not that I've seen. Not many travelers would choose to come to such a remote region as this." the woman replied.

"I...Is that so...?" Luka stammered in confusion, before we dismissed ourselves.

~– ~ – ~

A little while later, we met yet another villager.

"My name is Ran. I'm a maid that serves the Lord here, Cassandra. I'm currently shopping in preparation for tonight's meal... Did you need something from me?" A woman in a long maid dress asked as we approached her.

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask you something..." Luka started.

"I'm sorry, but I must be going. I can't neglect my Master's orders." the woman interrupted, quickly running off.

Luka was understandably off-put by her attitude.

I simply looked the same as always.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, we spoke with a young girl with blonde hair tied in two long tails with blue ribbons.

I had recognized her instantly, and was already inwardly considering my options.

"How rude. Introduce yourself before approaching me out of nowhere!" the girl haughtily commanded, as Luka and I walked up to her.

"...Sorry. I'm the Hero apprentice Luka. This is my friend, Daniel." Luka politely replied.

I simply nodded in confirmation.

Again, Luka looked at me in worry for a moment, before turning back to face the girl.

"Err... Who are you?" he timidly questioned.

"I'm Emily, Lord Cassandra's only daughter. Did you come here to meet my mother as well?" Emily introduced herself.

"Before that, I'd like to ask you something. It's about the rumors going around about this village..." Luka started.

"Ah, that stupid rumor? Something about male travelers never returning, or something?" Emily guessed.

"...You've heard of it?" Luka confirmed.

"Wahaha! You believed it and came all the way here!? What a stupid urban legend! Since you came all this way, do you want to meet with mother? I feel sorry for you, having wasted all that effort travelling here on a wild goose chase." Emily offered.

"Oh... That would be good..." Luka agreed.

I did NOT make a quip about local rulers this time.

"Alright then, follow Emily!" Emily declared, as she started leading us towards the mansion.

~– ~ – ~

Even before entering, I could feel Cassandra's massive aura.

My senses lit up in alarm, but I kept my face neutral.

"Uwaa... What a large mansion." Luka commented, overlooking the giant deathtrap.

"Welcome, Master Luka, Master Daniel. The Mistress is waiting inside." Ren the maid greeted us, before leading the way through the elegant building.

I kept my calm expression the whole way, idly looking around, ignoring my instincts screaming at me to GET THE FUCK AWAY.

Finally, we stepped into a luxurious parlor, full of artwork and posh furniture.

Emily awaited us there.

"I told mother you wished to meet with her. Be thankful. She's busy at the moment, so wait around ten minutes. Ran, thank you. You may leave us. Return to your duties." Emily concluded, dismissing her servant.

"Understood. Well then, please excuse me." Ran acknowledged, giving a deep bow before leaving the room.

"Hey, hey... You're travelers, right? Where have you been so far?" Emily asked conversationally.

"I came from the Ilias continent, and am making my way north towards the Monster Lord's castle..." Luka said, starting to recount our adventures so far.

Emily listened with interest, leaning over towards Luka.

She seemingly ignored my presence completely.

I didn't really mind.

~– ~ – ~

After around roughly ten minutes, a blonde woman in a red dress, wearing a tiara finally entered the room.

"It seems as though I've kept you waiting for a while. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Cassandra, the Lord of this village. My daughter told me of you." Cassandra politely greeted.

Her aura, however, was all but reassuring.

I simply bowed slightly.

"Ah... It's nice to meet you... I'm a Hero apprentice, Luka." Luka introduced himself.

"And my name is Daniel. I am just a normal traveler." I introduced myself with a calm and respectful voice.

Luka glanced at me in confusion for a moment, but Cassandra seemingly didn't notice.

"Now then Emily, please excuse yourself. I would like to discuss something with our visitors." Cassandra requested.

"Right-o! See ya!" Emily waved at us excitedly, before leaving the room.

Cassandra took her seat on the sofa in front of us.

"Now then, I heard from Emily you two came here to inquire about that rumor. The one where male travelers have not been returning from our village." Cassandra started.

"Yes... That's what I wanted to ask you about. It was bugging me, so I came to check it out..." Luka confirmed.

"But... It's just as you can see, isn't it? There's nothing unusual going on in this village." Cassandra declared.

"Yes, that seems to be the case..." Luka acknowledged.

Only I knew, of course, that it was a bold-faced lie.

"Besides... If the rumor was really true, you would never return from here, wouldn't you? But... I'm sure you will part from this village with no issue. So please tell everyone that the rumor is simply false." Cassandra chuckled.

"I see..." Luka pondered.

"...Now then, let's stop about that unpleasant discussion about rumors and such. Won't you join us for dinner?" Cassandra offered.

"No... Sorry, but I'll have to decline." Luka politely denied.

"Me too, thanks." I simply stated.

"Excuse our rudeness, but there are some other things we have to do... If you'll excuse us..." Luka concluded, as we both rose from our seats.

"Oh, are you already returning? I just prepared tea..." Ran the maid said.

"Please don't think you're imposing. We would love to have you for dinner." Cassandra insisted.

Yeah, I bet, I drily thought.

"Oh no, no... We've already troubled you enough. If you'll excuse us..." Luka said, as we left the mansion.

~– ~ – ~

"Whew..." Luka sighed as we were outside.

I barely resisted the urge to breath heavily, though I couldn't quite prevent my own heart-rate from spiking.

"Oh... Are you two already going back?" Emily inquired, approaching us.

"Yeah, since the rumor wasn't true I thought I should hurry on back..." Luka replied.

"Hehe... My mother seems to be willing to overlook you. But I like you..." Emily trailed off, looking at Luka with a strange smile on her face.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed.

"Hey, hey... I want to know more about you..." Emily started, before Cassandra appeared at the door.

"...Emily, do not be rude to our visitor." she chided.

"M... Mother..." Emily stammered.

"Le the traveler go home, he has something he must do." Cassandra declared.

"...Ok, I got it. If it's what you say, Mother..." Emily acquiesced.

"Errr... Well then..." Luka said, as we both left the mansion behind.

I could feel Cassandra staring at the both of us as we left.

~– ~ – ~

As we got to the village's border, a familiar presence approached us from behind.

"Alice...?" Luka called out, turning to her.

"...Even you noticed it by now, right? How abnormal this village is..." Alice questioned, looking at us both.

"Of course... This village has no men at all." Luka replied.

"Hmm, so you did notice. For there to not be a single man here is just plain strange." Alice acknowledged.

"Yes... This place isn't normal at all... I think we should examine this village a little more closely." Luka concluded

"This is no village." I suddenly interjected.

"What?" Luka asked in confusion.

"This is a hunting ground." I concluded ominously.

"Huh? What do you...! You mean...!?" Luka asked in sudden realization.

"Yes. All of them. And the Lord herself... She's on a different level altogether." I said, now allowing some of my emotions to show, my hands trembling slightly.

"We have to go back in there." Luka declared.

"Are you insane? Do you have any idea how powerful the enemy is?" Alice asked in an angry tone.

"As a Hero, I can't leave such a thing alone. It doesn't matter how strong she is, I won't just leave." Luka proclaimed.

"You and your damn Hero complex... Just be careful. Don't lose in such a place." Alice sighed in resignation.

"He won't. I won't let him." I declared resolutely.

Alice looked back at me for a moment, before closing her eyes and disappearing again.

Luka and I reentered the village soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Oh my... Did you need something?" the lady in a white dress we met before asked.

"The gig is up. May as well do without the facade." I simply informed her.

"Oh my... Well then, if that is the case..." the woman asked, as her dress retracted, and she showed her insect-like lower body.

"Hehe, two delicious looking gentlemen. I wonder which one I will play with first..." the lady trailed off, licking her lips.

"Yeah, no need to sugarcoat it, I know I've got no scent." I scoffed at her obvious lie, before assuming a fighting stance and charging forward, as Luka summoned his spirits.

"May I suck on your penis?" the monster politely asked, before shooting her hands towards my crotch.

However, she touched nothing, as her fingers passed through my afterimage, before I hit her from behind.

I planned to hold back during the whole fight, limiting myself to a level slightly above what had been my limit before the transformation.

She still flew forward a bit, and Luka started wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star as she was off-balance.

"Now then, I'd like to take a sip of your fluids. Please relax and leave everything to me." the monster requested, trying to grab Luka.

Again, I blurred forward and punched her side, disrupting her maneuver, and allowing my friend to keep his pants on.

He then proceeded to end the fight with a Lightning Sword Flash.

"It can't be... I can't be defeated..." the monster stammered in disbelief, as she turned into a small beetle that then flew off.

"Let's move quickly. There are still many more around." I declared.

"Alright. Can you guide me to the next one?" Luka asked.

"No need. She's coming to us." I said, turning to the woman with a parasol we met earlier.

"I was ordered by Cassandra... Until Alice had left the village, I was to ignore you... But now..." the lady trailed off, as tentacles grew out of her parasol, revealing her true form.

"Now, I'll feed on you both... First, I'll need to... Ouch!" the monster started, before interrupted by a sucker punch from me, as I quickly started running in and out of her range, keeping her off-balance with a few quick jabs while Luka summoned his spirits.

She tried to retaliate, but she always missed by inches, as Luka started slashing wildly with his combo technique.

"Now then, shall I really start to tease you?" the monster asked seductively, before managing to grab onto Luka's body with her tentacles.

"Now then, it's time to have some fun... I'll stroke that penis of yours, and... What?" she stopped, as I grabbed two of her tentacles and strongly pulled on them, freeing my friend's swordarm, as he cut the rest of the tentacles holding him with his blade.

"How can a human have such strenght...!?" the monster questioned in disbelief, as Luka used his newest technique to end the fight with a mighty thrust.

"To humans...? How...!?" the monster stammered, as her body turned into a tiny, fleshy-looking umbrella.

"So everyone here really is a monster..." Luka commented.

"I told you so. Don't let your guard down." I ordered, before we moved on towards Cassandra's mansion.

Alice followed after us at a distance, her aura hidden.

~– ~ – ~

Standing in front of the mansion was Ran the maid.

"I'm under instructions from my Master. I'm sorry, but I cannot let you pass." she declared.

"Jest let me by!" Luka demanded.

I simply assumed a fighting stance.

"...We were going to overlook you two out of respect for Alice. But we won't overlook you twice. Those are the master's orders." Ran concluded, as tentacles exploded out of her skirt.

"Are you another one attacking people!? If so, sorry but I'll have..." Luka started, his hand going to his sword.

"I only follow orders from my master. Such as disposing of men that are not to Mistress Cassandra's liking. I wrap my tentacles around their bodies, weaken them, then swallow them whole... I'll be disposing of you two the same way, sirs." the Scylla Maid interrupted.

"I won't let you do that ever again!" Luka declared, as he summoned his spirits.

The maid tried to rush him, but I quickly threw a flying knee to her face, as she barely blocked the blow with both arms, and I used the recoil to jump back.

She was faster than the others...

I would have to be careful not to blow my cover.

I started circling her with a few Broken Shadows, trying to throw her off.

Finally, I rushed her from the back, hitting her with a closed fist on her shoulder.

She turned around and tried to wrap herself around me, but I deflected her tentacles, even as I moved backwards.

That had been close, however.

I was still managing to hold back, but this was very close to making me up my pace a notch.

Finally, Luka joined the fight, using his new technique to stab the monster.

"Well then, please entrust your body to me, sir." Ran pleaded, as she caught Luka in her tentacles.

"Ahh...!" Luka shrieked in her hold.

"Which kind of service would you like? Make it tighter? Perhaps a little sucking? Or... Would you just like to be swallowed whole?" the maid proposed, before staggering forward again, as I hit the same spot as before.

She used her arm to grab my own, but I anticipated her move, and quickly threw a jab at her elbow, precisely hitting a nerve.

I did not envy her in that moment, as the sensation I knew her to be feeling sucked.

She immediately let go of me with a small shriek of surprise, as her arm fell numb, while Luka struggled under her tentacles' grip.

Finally, he managed to get free, and started wailing on the enemy with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

Ran was not quite done yet, however.

She disengaged from him, rushing towards me with her arms outstretched.

A perfect opportunity, we both thought.

I slipped at her side, grabbing her neck, and forcing her to the ground using her own momentum, her face slamming down hard.

Luka immediately took the chance and jumped upwards, ending the fight with a stab to her heart from the back.

"Forgive me, Mistress Cassandra..." Ran apologized, as she turned into an octopus.

"She must have been acting as the guard..." Luka guessed.

"Cassandra's inside the house. Be careful in there." I said, holding myself together even in front of the overwhelming energy of the monster we were about to face.

"Alright, let's go!" Luka declared, as we entered the mansion.

~– ~ – ~

"Wahaha, I knew it! You came back! I thought it might end up like this." Emily singsang, as we entered the parlor again.

"Are you... A monster as well?" Luka questioned.

"That's right. Come on, let's go! Emily will see how strong you are!" the girl said, as she revealed her true form, her hair transforming into tentacles, and more appearing from under her skirt.

"Have you been preying on humans too!?" Luka inquired.

"Wahaha, of course! I've teased and eaten plenty of men already! I wrap these tentacles of mine around them, and squeeze out their semen. Like that, I make them go mad with pleasure." the monster girl said in a happy tone.

I could tell this was just the norm for her.

She simply had never lived any other way.

"You know, Emily... Emily is really interested in you. What does your penis feel like...? How much semen will come out if Emily plays with it...? What kind of moan will you make as you come...? How does your semen taste? Emily wants to find out eeeeverything!" she said in a childish tone.

There was no malice in it, not really.

Just idle curiosity.

This only made things worse.

I sighed deeply, before blurring forward, suddenly appearing in front of her.

"What?" she blinked in surprise, not having expected by my burst of speed.

Her eyes met mine for a moment, and she stopped for a split second.

Then she tried to coil around me.

But Luka intervened, cutting her tentacles before they could even touch me, empowered by his spirits.

Emily fought back, but still was outmatched by Luka's speed, and distracted by my presence so close to her, despite me never lifting a finger to hurt her.

"Just what are you doing!? Why do you look at me like that!?" she asked in confusion and rage.

I simply stayed silent.

Again, she tried to attack me, but Luka blocked her.

She finally managed to coil her twin tails around him, but I quickly unentangled him, without even looking away from her.

"Why do you keep making that face!? Are you looking down on me!?" she yelled furiously, but Luka finished her with a last Lightning Sword Flash.

"E... Emily lost...?" the young girl stammered in disbelief, as she turned into a tiny yellow octopus.

"Ah! H... How could you turn Emily into this!?" the little sealed monster cried out.

"Alright, now..." Luka started.

"There's just me left... Isn't that right?" Cassandra said, as she entered the room, making Luka startle.

"You're the one behind everything here!" Luka yelled out, feeling the enormous pressure Cassandra emitted.

I simply readied myself for a Broken Shadow, having long made my decision on what to do.

"Yes... My family has always lived in this village, disguised as humans. Every human male that would come to visit, we would feed on. I cannot even tell you how many hundreds we have eaten already." Cassandra recounted.

"Th... That's... Unforgivable!" Luka yelled furiously.

"But you look quite delicious... One who caught even Alice's eye... The highest food I could savor." Cassandra finished, as she started oozing liquid, her dress starting to melt and change shape, as she revealed her true form.

"Mother, before that...! Use your magic power to restore Emily to normal! Emily will fight with mother!" the tiny sealed monster pleaded to her mother.

However, the answer she received was impossibly cold.

"...I've explained this to you many times, Emily. This world works on the survival of the fittest. Those deemed unfit shall be nothing but food for the victors." Cassandra flatly explained, looking down on the little octopus.

"M...Mother...? No...! Mother!" little Emily screamed, as the flesh of her own mother attempted to envelop her

However, I would not allow this atrocity.

I blurred forward, faster than ever before, grabbing the tiny octopus a millisecond before the sticky flesh elgulfed her.

Cassandra tried to retaliate, turning her attack to me instead, but I threw out an arm, releasing my deadliest technique on her approaching mass.

Her corrosive flesh splattered all over the room, immediately starting to melt the walls.

I accelerated again, throwing myself out of the window, shattering the glass in a million pieces, my cloak wrapped around both the little monster in my arms and me, protecting us both from the sharp fragments.

I hit the ground outside, sliding on it for about a metre.

"Mother..." little Emily whispered in a broken voice, unable to accept reality.

"Daniel! Are you okay!?" Luka asked me.

"You have some strange techniques..." Cassandra observed, looking unbothered at the small bits of flesh scattered around her.

"I'm fine! I'll get Emily out of here, just hold on until I get back!" I ordered.

"Alright!" Luka agreed, before starting to summon his spirits.

In the meantime I blurred away, headed towards the woods behind the mansion.

Little Emily cried all the way.

~– ~ – ~

I quickly reached a hollow tree large enough for the little sealed monster to hide in.

"Listen Emily, I have to go back to help my friend. I'll be back for you, I promise." I said gently.

"No! Don't leave me... Sob... I'm sorry for attacking you... I won't ever eat anyone again, so please..." the little monster cried.

"I won't lie and tell you you did nothing wrong. But It's not your fault. Your mother is the one to blame. I'm sorry, but it's true. She taught you the world is nothing but cruel, and you could only believe her. But she was wrong. I know you aren't evil. You just never knew any better. I'm sure you will face many trials from here on out. I lost my parents too... But you are different from me. I grew up to be a selfish liar. But you can still decide your own path. And I'm sure you will make the right choice." I spoke in the kindest tone I could muster, lightly patting the little monster's head.

Emily kept sobbing, but she didn't try to stop me again, as I turned away and blurred back towards the mansion.

~– ~ – ~

Even from the outside, the walls looked like they were made entirely of sticky flesh.

I moved in front of the window I had jumped out of, now simply another closed wall.

I immediately threw a flurry of Twisting Shadows with both hands, rapidly clearing a path, pink flesh scattering all over.

"Daniel!" Luka called out, even as he barely dodged one of Cassandra's attacks.

I moved forward, throwing Twisting Shadow after Twisting Shadow with both my arms and my legs, opening myself a path towards her.

Cassandra immediately sent a wave of flesh in my direction, trying to drown me in it.

I could only back off, as Luka wailed on her.

However, his attacks were simply too weak...

I finally reached him, our backs touching each other, throwing more and more Twisting Shadows to keep Cassandra's flesh away from us.

However, I could tell this was not even remotely close to damaging her.

"Guh... What power..." Luka lamented, as his breath grew ragged.

"Do you understand my strenght now? It's too late to beg for forgiveness!" Cassandra gloated, sure of her victory despite my interference.

To be fair, she was right.

Even together, the current Luka and me were not a match for her.

Perhaps, if we both used our true power, we may have stood a chance, but there was no way I was going to reveal those cards now.

At least, if Alice did what I hoped she would...

Needless to say, I was extremely relieved when I heard her voice resounding in the flesh-covered room.

"Sheesh, so it came down to this as I thought. I tried to stop you two since I knew you wouldn't be able to beat her." she said in annoyance.

"A...Alice...!?" Luka exclaimed.

"Alipheese..." Cassandra drawled.

"...But still, you both have become quite strong. To think you would last that long in a battle against Cassandra Nereneid..." Alice acknowledged.

"Who is she...? Such a high level monster in this tiny village..." Luka asked.

"I told you about the Monster Lord succession ceremony before, didn't I? When my mother rose to the throne, Cassandra was the only one who challenged her. She lost to my mother in single combat... It was a close battle, where they were on equal footing." Alice explained, as Luka's eyes widened.

I narrowed my own, still keeping my fighting stance.

"...Yes, I was defeated by your mother in the past. But I'm different now. I've preyed on hundreds of men since then, storing and saving my power... I narrowly lost then, but as I am now, I would have a complete victory." Cassandra proudly declared.

"Hmph. How stupid, Cassandra. 'In the past'... 'But now'. Still haven't gotten over your loss, have you? As expected, you would never have been fit to sit on the Monster Lord's throne." Alice scoffed.

"...The one unfit for the Monster Lord's throne was your mother, was it not? The foolish advocate for coexistence between man and monster. Then killed by those same humans she wanted to get along with. How ridiculous. Truly a disgrace, unfit to be called Monster Lord." Cassandra smirked.

Alice didn't answer, her eyes closing in thought, hiding her pain.

Luka's eyes widened even more.

I barely held back myself from defending my friend's mother, physically or not, but I knew there was no way that would end well with Ilias watching us as always.

"It's just a rumor I've heard... Is it true you're following that stupid woman's wish of coexistence?" Cassandra asked in a mocking tone.

"Wh... What's going on Alice!? Your dream is the same as mine!?" Luka asked in confusion.

"...Hmph. Whenever you talk about your dream, it pisses me off. The thought that I could have the same ideal as an idiot like you..." Alice scoffed.

"H... Hey..." Luka started, before Cassandra tried to wrap us both in her body again.

However, I had been ready for it.

I threw Twisting shadows in every direction, barely managing to keep away the tide of flesh.

Luka joined me, slashing wildly with his blade, decreasing the pressure considerably.

"...So you didn't let your guard down, huh? No matter... I'll just finish you two off later, when you're exhausted. Now then, little Alipheese. What reason do you have for coming here? I know you're just a pathetic excuse for a Monster Lord, but I doubt you would travel here just to attack me." Cassandra spoke calmly, as I and Luka fought for our lives.

"As a matter of fact, I'm actually surprised myself. To think that idiot would be right for once. As long as a monster like you exists, man and monster will forever be enemies! As the Monster Lord, it falls to me to discipline trash like you!" Alice declared, her energy surging.

"Alice...! No! You're the Monster Lord... You can't fight your own monsters!" Luka yelled, even as the tide of flesh kept coming.

I simply concentrated on keeping us both alive.

"Hmph, that's funny coming from someone as tied up as you are now. That's perfect. Just stay there and watch." Alice ordered.

"No... Don't fight among your own kind...!" Luka pleaded, but Alice didn't waver.

"...Please, Luka. Leave this to me. This is an issue from the previous generation... The fight between Cassandra who wished to rule the humans, and my mother who wished to exist alongside them." Alice pleaded.

"Alice..." Luka called out.

"Living in peace with humans... It has been a while since I heard that laughable tripe. Why should predators spare any thought for their prey? Just what kind of world do you think you live in, girl?" Cassandra mocked, as she threw her corrosive flesh on Alice, her tail sizzling lightly.

I almost popped a blood vessel at the sight, a particularly powerful Twisting shadow clearing the floor around me for a moment, before the tide of flesh advanced again.

"Only the strong can survive in this world. Humans are nothing but prey to be devoured by stronger monsters. And weak monsters... They too should be preyed on by the stronger. No matter how hard you cry for that pathetic dream, you cannot change the truth of the world!" Cassandra declared, as she bound Alice's body with her sticky flesh.

"Prepare youself, Alipheese. I shall ensure that you receive no pleasure as I dissolve you. Feel the pain, as your body melts into nothing. Writhe in agony as your better devours you." Cassandra proclaimed, as she sent even more corrosive flesh towards my friend.

My hand instinctively reached for my dagger, but I knew it would be useless.

I just wasn't strong enough...

But I knew that would only matter for a little more.

I just had to wait a bit longer...

"I see... So you can transform this flesh of yours, and increase it at will. Like that, you move your digestive organ outside of your own body, and use it to start digesting your prey as you fight." Alice analyzed.

"That's right... Since I can control it at will, my flesh will just stretch from any impact. Thus, once you've been completely wrapped, there's no longer a way to escape. You're already in my stomach... there's nothing left but for you to writhe in agony as I digest you alive." Cassandra confirmed.

"...I realize quite well what you're capable of now. You're just like an amoeba, absorbing and increasing your own body mass. In addition, you're able to control your body even when it's separated from your core..." Alice continued.

"Hehe, that's right. I'm glad you're able to understand the method of your own death." Cassandra chuckled.

"Very well. In that case..." Alice said, before her energy concentrated in her eyes.

I shut my own eyelids in anticipation, before I felt Cassandra's energy falling in disarray.

I knew, at that moment, that the fight was already over.

"Wh... What!? N...No... My control..." Cassandra stammered, as her flesh started vibrating.

The parts not directly connected to her body started melting and disappearing, dripping off of Alice.

"That flesh of yours is made up of cells who have wills of their own. If someone were to just disturb that connection you have with them, they'd lose their form and revert back to the worthless lumps of flesh they are." Alice explained.

"I...It can't be! Eye magic from a low rank monster like you shouldn't have any effect!" Cassandra yelled in disbelief.

"...Sheesh, don't you get it? You were careless and... Are far weaker than me." Alice concluded.

I could tell she was entirely correct.

Despite Cassandra's powerful energy, Alice was far superior.

"I... I cannot... I... I fought with Alipheese the fifteenth on equal terms! I did!" Cassandra claimed, as her body melted around us.

"...So you are still clinging to the past, are you? You aren't even equal to one of the four Heavenly Knights, much less the Monster Lord." Alice scoffed.

"No! My body... My body!" Cassandra yelled, as her own flesh started digesting her, starting to melt her down.

"I... I cannot... Not to me... Why... Why do I have to die!?" she questioned fearfully.

"...What an idiotic question Cassandra. The world follows the survival of the fittest, right? If you were to die, that can only mean one thing, right? You're nothing but a weak fool, unfit to do anything but die at the hands of the strong... Right!?" Alice yeled, throwing back Cassandra's own words against her.

"N...No... Help me... Don't let me die..." Cassandra pleaded.

"Sheesh, I would love to help. But I wouldn't want to tread on your ideal world of survival of the fittest." Alice scoffed, before her expression turned slightly regretful.

"Sorry, but I cannot spare your life even if you beg. You know the purpose behind there being a Monster Lord, do you not?" she inquired.

"To use power to maintain order..." Cassandra recited.

"You've killed far too many. As the Monster Lord, I must pass judgement on you." Alice concluded as she closed her eyes her eyes, unwilling to see the moment of her opponent's demise.

However, I wasn't going to let it end like this.

My dagger stabbed Cassandra in the temple as she opened her mouth to scream, her body going limp on the floor, before dissolving itself.

I resisted the urge to gag at the disgusting sensation of the blade in my hands piercing bone and brain.

Alice and Luka looked at me in absolute shock for a few seconds.

"What... Did you do...? There was no reason for you to do that! She was going to die anyway!" Alice screamed painfully.

Luka just looked at me silently, completely befuddled.

"Well, like this we don't know who actually killed her. So you don't have to feel guilty about it." I replied in a light tone, despite my inner turmoil.

"What...? This was my duty as the Monster Lord! Why would I feel guilty about it!?" Alice questioned in disbelief.

"You really are dumb sometimes. Did you think I wouldn't realize why you used such a technique? It was because you yourself couldn't stop it if you wanted to, right?" I asked in an unimpressed tone.

Alice's eyes widened again, unable to keep her neutral facade.

Luka also had the same expression.

"Your mother probably could have done the same thing s well, all those years ago. She most likely only had a hard time with their fight because she couldn't bring herself to kill her opponent." I posited.

They both still were silent.

"Anyway, now it's impossible to determine who actually killed her, so at least we share part of the blame. Don't feel too bad about it. And please, stop saying such cold things. They really don't suit you." I concluded, before turning to face Luka.

"I'm sorry, Luka. I ended up doing something pretty damn bad, huh? You're probably disappointed in me. I don't blame you. I'll understand if you decide to leave without me." I apologized, bowing my head deeply.

I fully expected him to denounce me, or hit me.

I also expected Alice to yell at me even more.

Instead, I felt Luka's hands on my shoulders.

I automatically raised my head to look at him in confusion, as he started speaking in a serious tone.

"I won't lie. I cannot approve of your behavior... But not for the reasons you may think. You're always like this... Acting like you're not a good person, while still doing all the good things you do. It's maddening to hear you debasing yourself for no reason, and I never could manage to argue you out of it so far, since you're so damn good with words. You're just so frustrating sometimes... But I must thank you. For now, you gave me the one opening I needed. And you did that with an act of pure mercy." Luka declared.

I still stared at him, failing to process his words.

"As Alice said, you didn't need to do anything. Cassandra was already dying, and you knew that. But she was suffering from an impossible pain, as her own body dissolved itself. Your actions saved her from that agony. Not to mention you also did that so Alice would feel less guilty too. It was a perfectly selfless act. Not even you could ever argue otherwise. You always say to everyone that you're not a Hero... But to me, there is no one else that deserves that title more than you." Luka concluded.

I blinked a few times, my brain finally catching up, and then failing to find any counterarguments, as he predicted.

Silence reigned for a few seconds...

Then I sighed loudly in annoyance.

"...This is too goddamn serious." I finally declared, as I threw Luka towards Alice again, making them both squawk.

"I told you to stop doing that!" Alice yelled indignantly, even as both of them blushed furiously.

I turned away from them both, trying to get away from them myself, since they didn't leave.

However, Luka quickly snapped out of it, and grabbed me from behind, forcing me into the hug as well.

I struggled for a couple seconds, before Alice joined the effort, overpowering me instantly.

Et tu, Alice?, I thought, looking at her in betrayal.

She just scoffed and looked away.

...This was revenge for me calling her dumb earlier wasn't it?

Well played, well played indeed...

"...This is stupid." I protested, still facing away from them

"You were the one who hugged me first, remember? So if hugging others is stupid, then you are too. And since you already said I'm smart, I can tell you you're wrong and actually be in the right." Luka pointed out.

"Isn't that a contradiction? If I'm stupid, then hugging is stupid because I speak as if I think I'm smart, If I'm smart, hugging is stupid because I'm the one in the right." I declared.

"No, because you already admitted I'm smarter than you. So, if you're stupid you're just wrong, and if you're smart, I'm right anyway because you're actually right about me being smarter." Luka concluded.

"...How does that even make sense?" I questioned.

"Just shut up you two, you're giving me a headache." Alice ordered.

Silence reigned again after that.

...Well, I had to give it to the kid.

He got me good.

So I actually had a bleeding heart.

Big fucking deal.

Still, this really didn't help me feel any better about my lies...

"Alright, this is starting to get weird now... It's also getting late, can we get back on the road please?" I pleaded.

"Five more minutes." Luka declared.

Alice simply scoffed again.

"...Dammit." I cursed.

I would forever deny that any water fell from my eyes at that moment.

~– ~ – ~

After far more than five more minutes passed, I finally managed to extricate myself from the two of them, and we all moved out of the mansion.

Emily was not found where I had left her.

I had no idea where she had went.

I could only hope she would be ok.

Another reason I had done what I had to Cassandra was to make myself the target of Emily's potential revenge, but I still hoped to avoid such a scenario...

Nevertheless, There was nothing I could do now.

"It's over..." Alice declared, as we walked through the now deserted village, all monsters having already escaped.

"Yeah..." Luka agreed.

However, he still looked proud, rather than depressed.

"Hey, Alice... You want humans and monsters to coexist together too... Don't you?" he questioned.

"It's just as you heard. My aim as the Monster Lord is to live in harmony with humans... But don't think I'm being an idiot about it like you are. I'm deeply thinking about everything, and working out ways to solve the various problems." Alice disclaimed.

"Is that why you came with me on my journey?" Luka inquired.

"...It's just as I said when I first met you. I want to see when your true character comes out. How long can someone who has the same dream as me last? As I traveled the world, I wanted to see." Alice declared.

"I see... Hey, Alice... One more thing..." Luka started slowly.

"...About my mother?" Alice guessed.

"Yes... The human Hero who defeated her..." Luka trailed off.

"That's a rather difficult story. You haven't heard anything about the previous Monster Lord being defeated by a human Hero, have you?" Alice asked.

"No..." Luka confirmed.

"My mother was not defeated by a human Hero. She gave up her life for her beliefs." Alice misteriously said.

Of course, I knew everything better than both of them did.

And their kindness made it hurt even more.

"I see... Anyway, I'm really happy. Alice is just like me! Hahaha. Bahaha!" Luka started laughing loudly.

"Sh... Shut up!" Alice shouted in embarassment.

I couldn't help but softly smile, feeling a small part of my worries melt away.

They would be just fine.

"Now, back to the adventure! For both my dream, Daniel's... And Alice's!" Luka boisterously yelled.

"Shut up..." Alice repeated weakly.

I softly chuckled, following behind my friends.

I still had all my problems.

But I would think about them tomorrow.

I owed them both that, and so much more...


	40. Chapter 40: Rejection and acceptance

The very same night we started moving towards the Fire Spirit's volcano, we had another training session.

Luka and Alice busied themselves with his special training to attain a Serene Mind with Undine's power.

Luka had been steadily growing frustrated at his inability to do so, however.

"Go on, close your eyes like usual. I'm going to slap you as hard as I can." Alice spoke.

"Hrrrm... Is this really the best way? I feel like you're kind of... Abusing this training style a little bit." Luka questioned.

"It's the best way that also entertains me." I quipped, earning myself a glare from him.

"Oh, so you want to give up? I guess that means you never want to be a Hero like Heinrich..." Alice mocked.

"Ahhg! Now I have to do it..." Luka yelled in frustration, retaking his stance.

Alice simply kept slapping him silly in various ways.

"Hmph. Horrible." Alice scoffed.

"Th... That last one kind of burned for some reason..." Luka lamented, his hair sizzling.

I snickered the whole time.

"Hey, Alice... Isn't it about time for me to learn a new technique...?" Luka requested.

"Hmm... It's true you've gotten a lot better at controlling the power of the earth. Perhaps you could learn a new skill utilizing that?" Alice conceded.

"Alright!" Luka exclaimed happily.

"You also have become proficient in Twisting Shadow quite quickly, Daniel. It's about time I teach you a new technique as well." Alice declared, turning to me.

"Well, I'm not saying no. What do you have in mind?" I agreed.

"I think it's time for you to learn how to actually punch. Your striking form is terrible. You actually are fairly strong now, as you demonstrated when you punched that rock Golem, but you waste a lot of that power with needless motions. This technique is called Shadow Hammer. It's deceptively simple, but it is said that even the hardiest monsters would reel back from its power. Though the humans that used it had to undergo extensive conditioning in order not to break their own bodies executing it. You seem to be more durable than a normal human thanks to your parentage, however, so you should be fine, as long as you take it slow." Alice explained.

"I guess I do need some more raw power I can use without having to execute a counterattack, or twisting my opponent's body... Alright. I'm ready." I declared.

Alice explained to me and Luka our respective techniques, and we both got to practicing.

As Alice had said, the technique looked simple at first glance, but the precise movements needed to execute it were much more complicated than one would think.

It made use of all the strongest muscles in the human body, combined with both gravity and rotational force to increase the speed and weight behind the blow.

I could see why human practitioners needed the conditioning she mentioned.

Even with my Enrikan gloves, reinforced gauntlets and inhuman durability my limbs still stung like hell after the impacts.

I was now breaking rocks left and right, Alice correcting my movements after every attempt.

She didn't look too impressed at my raw strenght, as it was still lower than Luka's when he used Gnome.

I idly wondered how my true form would compare.

"Like this...? Hya!" Luka yelled, as he jumped into the air, filled himself with the power of the earth mid-flight, and fell back to the ground swinging his sword, creating a small crater.

"Hmm, you seem to have picked that up quickly. It's similar to a skill you already know, after all. Slamming the weight of the earth itself onto your opponent from above. The axe skill called Earth Rumbling Decapitation." Alice commented.

"Axe skill? But I use a sword..." Luka questioned in confusion.

"The one who developed this skill was a Minotauros who wielded an axe. But you should be able to use it with no issue with a sword. As the story goes, the legendary axe-wielding Minotauros rampaged across the battlefield decapitating all of her enemies..." Alice recounted.

"Another horrible monster backstory. Well, I won't use it like that, so it doesn't matter." Luka shrugged.

"...Stacking those heads into a set of stairs to scale the enemy's walls..." Alice continued unperturbed.

"No, really you don't need to keep going with the story." Luka claimed, his face growing a tad paler.

"What are you saying, you idiot? As the new wielder of that skill you should take pride in being a part of its history." Alice remarked.

"Urhg..." Luka grimaced.

"The skill works more or less the same as Demon Skull Beheading. But now you don't need to climb anything to use addition, if you have Gnome summoned, the power will be much stronger... " Alice stated.

"Oh? That's convenient." Luka commented.

"You've mastered quite a lot of techniques so far. You've become a skilled Cursed Sword Skill user." Alice praised.

"Ah, thanks... Wait! Cursed Sword!?" Luka yelled out in a perfectly timed double-take.

I laughed loudly at his comical reaction.

"A Cursed Sword user is much better than a fake Hero. At any rate, it's not like you can change your class at this point." Alice smirked.

"Ahh... Ilias... Forgive me..." Luka prayed to the sky.

We finished our training together soon after.

Of course, I still had my own experimenting to do.

~– ~ – ~

I decided I would work on my shapeshifting again that night, to see how far I could go with it.

I first tried to fully turn my body into one of the monster species that had influenced my transformation.

Seeing as my arms and legs were already scaly, I decided to try fully turning into a Dragon-kin first.

The result was satisfactory, my skin changing color and my earlobes enlarging into a wing-like shape, my fox tails uniting and transforming into a singular draconic one.

I idly noted, looking in the small mirror I used to check the results, that my eyes and hair had changed too, becoming more like Granberia's, though I could have easily turned them to any color I wanted.

It was weird to feel my body react to my will like that.

It seemed like muscles and bones, and even hair and skin were now almost indistinguishable, as if no part of me was impossible to manipulate.

However, it was not totally free.

For one, while I could easily enough turn some of my mass into new bones, like horns and such, It took time and effort to manipulate them.

I tried to make my arm's forearm bone bend without breaking, and it took me considerable concentration, its shape solidifying again as soon as I lost focus.

Thankfully I managed to put it back in its normal shape afterwards.

I would have had a hard time doing anything with an arm like that...

So it seemed like it was best for me to keep my humanoid shape as a base.

Honestly, I didn't mind that.

Turning into a Kitsune or Succubus (or was it Incubus in my case?) was ridiculously easy, as I basically just had to just keep my disguise on the parts that didn't belong to them, and do the same thing from my first experiment in case of the Succubus tail.

Though trying to make my whole body furry for the Kitsune transformation had been a BAD decision.

I sneezed for minutes as some fur had entered my nose.

I did not attempt to melt myself into a puddle or turn my legs into a snake tail, that was just asking for trouble...

Then, it was time to practice flying again.

I was quickly becoming proficient in using my wings, like a bird that instinctively learned as he left his nest.

I could now move freely in the air, even doing some small tricks, letting the currents sustain me, or even slightly manipulating them with my large wingspan.

Of course, I couldn't actually use magic to do that like Alma Elma...

I had attempted to see if it was possible for me to manipulate elemental energy a few times, both before and after the change itself, but no matter what I tried, it seemingly didn't respond to my will at all.

I supposed it meant one could only manipulate the energy belonging to them, except for the spirits who were made out of it.

It was a bit disappointing being in a world of magic and being utterly unable to use any, but I had already made peace with that a long time before.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, as we moved on the road again, I started thinking again, like I had decided.

But I didn't just agonize over my problems this time around.

Instead, I started looking for solutions.

First: Ilias was still watching, but using the night to my advantage was now an option with no one being the wiser.

If I could manage to find a way to do that in an intelligent manner, I might have been able to set up some contingencies or something.

Though I had no idea how to actually go about that...

Second: I was getting a hang of my new body, and the advantages it provided, despite my reluctance in fully accepting it as my own.

The strenght I now possessed was considerable, though I doubted I was anywhere near the level of a Heavenly Knight, even with my true form's strength combined with my powerful martial arts techniques.

Third: The time for the reveal was steadily getting closer, and obviously, distancing myself from my friends was not working.

So I decided I would just go with the flow, without worrying about it.

Que sera, sera.

There was nothing I could really do about it anyway, and making all of us suffer needlessly even before it was just plain dumb.

Fourth... So I actually was not such a bad person.

I mean, I still thought I was selfish, but Luka had a point.

I had found other reasons to justify my actions, like the fact I could use Cassandra's death as practice for the oncoming war, or as a means to distance myself from my companions, so that I would suffer less if they rejected me.

Also, I was now a murderer.

I couldn't even make myself grieve about it either, which made it even worse.

But, really, he had got me.

I couldn't help but admit a small part of me was not so bad.

Of course, this didn't really change anything, but it was...

Nice.

Fifth: The next meeting with Granberia was due soon.

I had no idea if it would actually happen, however, and that was not good for me.

My influence on Granberia's actions was unpredictable at this point.

I could tell last time we had met that she had still been interested in Luka's progress, so there was indeed a chance that she would show up.

But if she didn't...

Luka needed to see Vaporizing Rebellion Sword in order to counter it later.

Either that, or become strong enough to take it on and copy it in the same battle.

And to do that, he needed to fight a lot more, and get more experience.

He needed an opponent.

I could only hope it wouldn't happen that way...

But I had to prepare myself for the possibility, damn me and my cowardice.

~– ~ – ~

After some more time, we finally reached our destination.

The volcano looked massive, and the tip emitted thick white smoke, indicating it was VERY active.

I only hoped it wouldn't erupt anytime soon...

We easily found a huge opening in the side of the rock wall, entering the heated tunnels within.

~– ~ – ~

"Ah... Hot... So Salamander is in this volcano..." Luka panted, already starting to sweat.

I, however, felt perfectly fine, despite the temperature clearly being above the threshold for prolonged human survival.

I still faked uncomfortableness, using my shapeshifting to simulate perspiration a little, purposefully breathing a bit differently.

I didn't want to arise any suspicion.

"Salamander is famous as a powerful spirit among monsters. So it's common knowledge that she resides here. Many monsters using Cursed Sword Skills come here to seek her guidance... But nearly every one of them turns away after stepping foot inside the volcano." Alice explained.

"Powerful...?" Luka said worriedly.

"Eh, don't worry too much, you already got three spirits with you, you're going to be fine..." I assured him.

"Thanks... But... I might die from the heat before I even reach her. I need to find her quickly." Luka said, before Sylph and Gnome started communicating with him.

"You know where she is...? ...I see, thank you. By the way, where's Undine? ...Alright, let's go!" he declared, before we all started walking forward with him.

Yep.

Weiiiird.

~– ~ – ~

Suddenly, a presence emerged from within a pool of lava, blocking our path.

A monster seemingly made out of molten rock approached Luka.

Alice and I immediately hid.

I may have been somewhat heatproof, but I didn't want to know what hitting friggin' lava would do to me or my clothes.

"It can't be... A human? It has been decades since a human last came here..." the Lava Girl commented in surprise.

"Excuse me... I'm looking for Salamander. Can you just let me go by, please?" Luka politely requested.

"It has been so long since I had a feast... Let my magma absorb all your semen..." the monster said seductively, licking her lips.

"I...I'd burn to death if I even touched you!" Luka exclaimed.

"Of course, I'll cool my body down... I wouldn't want to char my food." the Lava Girl assured, as Luka drew his sword and summoned his spirits.

He imediately started slashing her wildly, as she used her amorphous body to try and dodge some of his attacks.

"It feels good like this, doesn't it?" the monster said, as she put a hand in Luka's pants, fondling his manhood.

Luka immediately moved back and meditated for a moment, but the monster advanced on him.

"Pour your semen in me..." she said, as she engulfed Luka's lower body.

"It feels nice and hot, doesn't it? I'll make your penis even hotter... You can't escape from my magma... Let me heat you up to a boil..." the monster said seductively, as she tried to use her body heat to make Luka faint.

However, he held on, and struggled fiercely, finally managing to get free.

"How strange... I feel the power of nature from you..." the Lava Girl commented, hinting at Gnome's strength.

Luka used her momentary distraction to end the fight with his new technique, crushing the monster with the weight of the earth behind his blade.

"I... How could I be sealed...?" the Lava Girl stammered in disbelief, her form melting into a pool of molten rock.

"Even is such an extreme enviroment like this, monsters can still exist... If I could use the power of water, I bet fire enemies would be really easy to beat..." Luka lamented.

"You can use it, you idiot. You just need to project the flow of water outside your body." Alice scoffed.

"Even if you explain it that easily... Actually doing it is hard." Luka complained.

"...Oh shut up. Anyway, it looks like another monster was drawn by the smell of a man." Alice commented, as a dark presence grew closer.

We both hid again.

"Guh... Another monster?" Luka asked, taking out his sword once more.

A monster looking like a mix of a chicken and a snake appeared.

I never looked towards her directly, just in case.

"Oh, a human? How rare. I'm gonna enjoy playing with ya..." the monster commented with a smirk.

"Guh... A Basilisk?" Luka said in recognition.

"I'm gonna turn you into stone and make a nice toy out of ya. I'll turn everything but your penis to stone and rape you. Or... Should I petrify your penis too so it won't ever get soft? Heh, heh... Which do ya want?" the monster proposed.

"I... I don't want either!" Luka declared, summoning his spirits.

He rushed forward with a Lightning Sword Flash, ther monster reeling from the blow.

"My tits are nice and soft ya know?" the monster said, as she pressed her chest to Luka's groin, lowering his pants.

He slashed wildly at her, but she did not back off.

"Let me show ya something nice. I can turn something to stone by licking it." the monster spoke.

"Eh...?" Luka said dumbly, as the monster tried to run her tongue on his member.

Thankfully, he quickly moved away before the long tongue could touch him, pulling his pants back up.

Then he used his new technique again, ending the fight.

"How could I lose to a kid like that...!?" the Basilisk said in disbelief, as she turned into a... Chicken?

Whatever, I had seen way weirder shit before...

"Sheesh, that was difficult..." Luka sighed in relief.

Moments later a powerful aura entered my range, a rumbling sound accompanying it.

"Wh... What was that!? Another monster!?" Luka asked, as Alice and I joined him.

"It's rare for a human to step foot here. All of the monsters are starving for a taste of a male. You're little more than a piece of meat dipped into a pool of piranhas at the moment." Alice deadpanned.

"I'm just meat, eh...?" Luka asked dejectedly.

"Anyway your next opponent sounds like a difficult one. Your only chance of winning is using the power of water." Alice concluded.

"It's my... Only chance? If I can't...?" Luka stammered in worry.

"I trust you. You can do it." I assured, looking at him right in the eyes, completely sincere.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and nodded.

I and Alice hid again after that, as a massive scaled monster appeared in front of Luka.

Inside of the gigantic horned lizard's mouth, a humanoid shape with a few red scales looked at him.

"A... A Dragon!?" Luka stammered fearfully, recognizing the legendary monster in front of him.

"Oh, a human? What rare prey..." the Dragon Girl said, licking her lips.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, as he took a step back from the pressure.

"Hehe... There's no need to be afraid. I won't tear you apart with these claws, nor incinerate you with my flames. There's no need for me to fight seriously against a tiny being like you. Just come a little closer, so I can lovingly caress you..." the monster said in a hungry tone.

Luka immediately summoned Gnome, preferring to not lose more time than necessary, and tried using a Lightning Sword Flash.

His blade did penetrate the Dragon's scales, but they were still very tough.

"Nnnn... Come inside my mouth when you can't take it any longer..." the monster ordered, swiftly using her humanoid body's hands to lower Luka's pants and starting to lick him.

He backed off to meditate, and then used an Earth Rumbling decapitation, inflicting heavier damage.

"...It's time to prey on you!" the monster declared, as she caught Luka in her dragon-body's giant mouth, her tongue and humanoud body both holding him still.

"I'll devour you like this... First I'll suck you dry..." the Dragon Girl drawled seductively, as Luka immediately started struggling.

"No matter how hard you struggle, it's useless! You'll finish inside my mouth... I'll suck on you until there's nothing left! Hehe... I'll enjoy this." the monster giggled, as her humanoid body hugged Luka, her dragon tongue vibrating.

However, Luka thankfully managed to free an arm, punch her off, and get himself free.

"H... How can such a tiny body hold the power of the earth!?" the Dragon exclaimed, as she rubbed the spot Luka had punched, while Luka himself started wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"Alright, I'm winning!" Luka exulted, feeling his opponent weakening.

However, now was the moment of truth.

"...How dare you attempt to seal me. I don't care about your pathetic semen any longer! I will simply crush and incinerate you!" the Dragon Girl roared, her stance now fully aggressive, as her energy surged.

"Ahhhgg... N...No way... She's so powerful!" Luka grimaced.

I looked at him from my hiding spot, ready to intervene if necessary.

Then I smirked, as he calmed down and closed his eyes.

"Th... This..." Luka stammered, his stance relaxing slightly, as his movements became a flowing dance in tune with the flow of the world as I always perceived it.

Victory, I thought, my grin widening in anticipation.

"...What's wrong!? Giving up already!?" the Dragon Girl roared again, as she swung a huge claw towards my friend.

However, the swing never touched Luka, as he flowed around her blow like water.

"I see it... The flow...!" he spoke in a quiet voice.

"Flow...? What are you talking about? Are you hallucinating in fear?" the Dragon scoffed, as she tried to bite down on him.

Again, luka effortlessly moved around her attack.

"What the...!? How did you avoid my attack!? Why can't I hit him!?" the Dragon Girl yelled fearfully, as Luka dodged blow after blow.

Finally, he slashed at her, his blade flowing gracefully in the air.

"Wh... What the...!?... I... Impossible...! My thick scales... Cut through like paper!? H... How can such a thin arm...?" the Dragon stammered in disbelief, after Luka's blade had sliced her natural armor to pieces.

"...I didn't cut you with power, I just followed the flow." Luka disclaimed.

"That doesn't make sense! Ahhhgg... Then how about this!?" the Dragon yelled as her energy surged into a jet of flame.

Then Luka cut through the FUCKING FIRE.

Just...

How!?

I had expected it, sure, but actually seeing it happen?

God, my life was SO damn weird...

Still, the spectacle was nothing short of fucking AWESOME.

"R... Ridiculous! You can't cut flame!" the Dragon Girl yelled in disbelief, her expression dumbfounded

"Eh...? That was fire!? Uwaaa!" Luka incredulously exclaimed as he opened his eyes, before the giant monster charged him again.

I couldn't help but facepalm, before starting to move.

"I'm going to swallow you whole!" the Dragon Girl shouted, as her mouth neared Luka.

Then she crushed to the ground, as I unleashed my new technique on her, stone flying away from the impact zone below her dragon-body, leaving behind a pretty sizable crater.

"...Yeouch! Motherf... Argh!" I loudly cursed, feeling all of the pain in my arm after the impact with the hard scales.

"Huh?" Luka stopped for a moment.

"Ju... Just seal her!" I yelled through the pain, as the monster started rising from the ground.

Luka blurred forward, stabbing her humanoid body with a final Lightning Sword Flash.

"I... Impossible... Just who are you...!? And where did you even come from!?" the Dragon Girl questioned, as her body turned into something resembling a Komodo dragon.

"Whew... That was surprising..." Luka said, breathing heavily.

"More like painful! Ow..." I disclaimed, still shaking my arm, trying to get some blood flowing.

"I'm the one that's surprised, you idiots!" Alice yelled, suddenly appearing beside us.

"Watch what you're doing, you idiot! How could you lose concentration at such a critical time! You would have been eaten if Daniel hadn't intervened! Just watching that shortened my life..." she sighed.

"And you, Daniel, what the hell were you thinking!? That was a DRAGON, you know!? You're really lucky she was already weakened, she would have torn you apart if not for that!" she yelled at me.

"Err, well... I just didn't think I could cut flame... It surprised me, so I kind of got confused." Luka said wryly.

"Eh, I sorta had to, you know...? Couldn't really let the chance to punch a Dragon pass by. Definitely regretting that now though... Ow..." I quipped, before wincing from the pain again.

Alice looked unimpressed.

"Anyway, it ended well. Her attacks seemed to be even easier to sense than your slaps during the special training..." Luka trailed off.

"I'm the Monster Lord. Don't go comparing my powerful attacks with that small fry's." Alice smirked.

"I knew it... You really were trying to slap me as hard as you could." Luka accused.

"You only awakened the power of water due to that severe training. Be thankful, you idiot." Alice scoffed.

"Also, I had a fun time with it, so it's fine." I added.

Luka turned at me in irritation for a moment, before shaking his head and sighing.

"Yes, thank you... Without that special training, I wouldn't have been able to defeat her." Luka acknowledged gratefully turning to Alice, before another presence neared us.

"One after another! Another monster!?" Luka exclaimed, preparing for a fight.

"No... She's..." Alice trailed off, as what looked like a human woman covered in fire moved closer to us.

I could feel that indeed, she was entirely composed of red, burning energy.

"Are you Salamander!?" Luka demanded.

"Indeed, I'm the flame Spirit Salamander. I know that you came seeking my power. In addition, you have already borrowed the power of Sylph, Gnome and Undine." Salamander confirmed, before turning to me, blinking a couple of times.

"...You are quite unique, aren't you? It's the first time I meet someone so hard to read." she said in an amused tone.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sort of messed up. I did just punch a Dragon for the hell of it." I proudly quipped.

"...What?" Salamander asked in confusion, blinking a couple of times.

Alice facepalmed in response.

I just grinned even wider.

"That speeds things up. Please, lend me your power!" Luka requested, ignoring my shameless boasting.

"...I'll give the same response as the others did. Show me your power." Salamander replied.

"I got it, a challenge!" Luka said, already pulling out his sword.

Before the battle started, however, Alice spoke up.

"Luka, I'll give you a warning. Salamander is Granberia's instructor." she informed him.

"...You could have mentioned that BEFORE I showed myself." I deadpanned.

Alice simply scoffed.

"Ehhh!? Then this is going to be impossible, isn't it!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"Hmm... That's quite an old story. Granberia is already far more powerful than me. In other words... If you can't beat me, there's no hope you can ever defeat Granberia!" Salamander declared, the surrounding fire energy focusing towards her.

"...I got it. Here I come!" Luka declared, summoning Gnome in preparation.

Before he could summon Sylph as well, salamander's hand shot inside his pants, playing with his member.

He slashed at her, making some distance, before rushing in with a Lightning Sword flash.

"My foot will crush you!" Salamander yelled, as she put her foot on Luka's groin, his energy disturbed by her own, as he fell to the ground paralyzed.

"Heh, an opening! Hahaha!" she said, as she grabbed Luka's legs and stepped on Luka's pants again.

"Haha, well? do you love my foot!?" the Spirit mocked, as Luka's energy finally returned to normal, before he shook off her hold with the power of the earth.

"It seems like as though you can use Gnome's power... Well? You are able to use the power of water, right?" Salamander questioned, stopping her attacks temporarily.

"We... Well..." Luka stammered.

"I saw the fight with the Dragon Girl. At that time, you gave your heart over completely to the flow. You need to take Undine's power inside you, and project your inner self into the world around you. Like that, you can connect to the flow around you. I can't lend my power to someone who cannot even do that." Salamander declared.

"I got it...! Take the flow into my heart...!" Luka repeated, as he closed his eyes in concentration, his movements changing to a flowing dance once more, as Undine's blue power surged inside him.

"Th... This is..." he stammered.

"Heh, so you can use it, can you? Then dodge this!" Salamander shouted, as her hand shot towards Luka's groin again.

However, he effortlessly moved out of the way.

"...I see, good. It doesn't look like any attack will hit you as you are now. Then next try attacking. Not a special skill, just a normal attack." Salamander requested.

"I see it!" Luka yelled, as his sword moved gracefully towards his opponent, slicing her defenses into nothing.

"Th... That was..." Luka stammered at the power behind his swing.

"...Good, that's it. When you're connected to the world, both your attacks and evasion are unmatched. But it takes intense concentration to maintain that control... No more talking now. The challenge continues!" Salamander said, as they exchanged a few more blows.

Luka avoided her every move and retaliated with powerful grace.

Finally, his movements returned to normal.

"Ah... It went away..." Luka said dumbly, his concentration broken.

"...It seems like you understand it now. When you're using that power, you're basically invincible. But that won't last forever. In the end, your concentration runs out, and you risk taking a powerful attack." Salamander explained.

"I get it...!" Luka acknowledged.

"Hmm... So I'm already teaching you, am I? ...You pass, Luka. I'll offer my power of fire to you!" Salamander declared, her stance relaxing.

"I... I did it!" Luka exulted.

"Never doubted it for a second." I simply stated.

"Oh, potential warrior, accept my power!" Salamander said solemnly, as she entered Luka's body.

I felt the spirits inside him greeting their comrade.

"You finally got Salamander's power?" Alice questioned.

"Yes, I now have all four Spirits. With this... Finally...!" Luka spoke, starting to open his mouth to laugh.

However, he was interrupted by a powerful tremor shaking the ground below us, as a powerful aura entered my range.

I instantly understood the implications.

She was here.

"Wh... What the hell!? Is it erupting!?" Luka said fearfully.

"No, it isn't... This feeling is..." Alice trailed off, as the ceiling above me cracked.

Instantly I looked upwards, feeling the rapidly falling familiar aura.

Of course, I was right in its trajectory.

"Aw, nuts..." is all I could say, before an armored Dragon-kin landed on me, the tremors having prevented me from dodging, as I was too off-balance.

"It can't be... G... Granberia?" Luka stammered, as the dust cloud started to clear around the green-scaled Heavenly Knight.

"...It has been a while, boy. It seems like you've progressed nearly twenty years in the short time since we last parted ways." Granberia observed.

"Wh... Why did you come here...?" Luka inquired.

"...I came to challenge you to a fight!" the Dragon-kin declared, unsheathing her greatsword.

"Before you do that..." I wheezed, Granberia's expression going from resolute to confused, as she looked around for me.

"Could you please get off my back? And I mean that literally..." I politely requested, even as my lungs were painfully compressed, before the swordswoman finally noticed what, or rather WHO, she was standing on.

Immediately, her face went beet-red, as she let out a disturbingly cute yelp, and thankfully jumped lightly backwards, freeing me from her armored weight, though she could have been a bit gentler about it, I felt...

"Thanks... Ooooww..." I grimaced, as I got back up, massaging my back a bit with my left hand.

"Daniel! Are you okay!?" Luka asked in concern.

"Eh, I'm fine... Just remind me to never doubt karma exists again..." I quipped, still wincing slightly from the pain.

I HAD punched a Dragon earlier and immediately bragged about it.

Instant Karma.

Granberia still looked at me with a red face, her mouth opening and closing.

Finally, she spoke.

"I'm not heavy!" she yelled indignantly.

"...What?" I blinked in confusion.

She just sputtered incoherently in response, blushing even more.

...What was wrong with her?

"This is terribly sudden, Granberia. Are you ignoring my decree and attacking Heroes without provocation again?" Alice inquired.

"...B... But Alipheese... 'Heroes' are simply disgusting soldiers of Ilias! But the boy in front of me is different from those mass produced Heroes! One who I've been searching for... One worthy to cross blades with!" Granberia replied, trying to regain a bit of her composure in front of her Lord.

Unfortunately, her face was still a bit red...

"I see... Luka. It seems like Granberia doesn't care about either Heroes or the Monster Lord at the moment. She seems to think nothing but of fighting you as a warrior. What are you going to do?" Alice questioned, turning to face him.

"Of course, I'll accept her challenge!" Luka instantly replied.

"Good! Now show me, boy! Fight with everything you have right from the start!" Granberia yelled, her embarrassment forgotten in face of the coming battle.

"I'll just... Go over there then." I wryly said, before walking a small distance away, towards where Alice was.

I felt Granberia's gaze follow me all the way, before she snapped out of her reverie and faced Luka again.

...Seriously, this was starting to get worrisome.

Was she still mad at me for the dagger thing?

I hoped not.

Finally, the battle started.

Luka immediately summoned the power of Undine, knowing he wouldn't be a match otherwise, the quality of his movements visibly changing.

"That's what I've been waiting for!" Granberia shouted, as she stepped forward, swinging her sword at Luka's midsection.

Luka moved like water around it, before retaliating with a graceful swing.

Granberia stepped back in surprise, her armor damaged from the attack.

"P... Powerful! How can such thin arms attack with such force...? It seems my wait and see attitude is no longer necessary. Very well then, I'll take this fight seriously!" the Dragon-kin declared, as her own movements became a flowing dance like Luka's.

"...What!? No way! Aren't you the 'Swordswoman of Fire'!? Why would you use a water ability!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"Having a Serene Mind is natural for a warrior. The attribute it's associted with is meaningless!" Granberia proclaimed, as she swung her sword again, Luka barely managing to move away.

Still, the blow lightly brushed against him, and he reeled from the impact.

"I didn't think you could use that skill..." Luka trailed off, his tone respectful, even through the pain.

"Heh, that's what I was going to say. To think you could master that ability as a human... In fact, I only managed to master it 20 years ago." Granberia confessed.

"20 Years ago...? Granberia, how old are you...?" Luka curiously inquired.

"I'll be 25 this year." Granberia declared.

"Oh, really... Ehhh!?" Luka exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh. So we're the same age right now, huh?" I idly commented.

For a moment, I had the impression Granberia's flowing dance wavered.

"No more talking during our battle!" she yelled angrily.

"Yes, ma'am." I timidly acquiesced, standing up straighter in reflex.

She really loved fighting, huh?

Good for her, I thought...

"Then... You mastered it at 5 years old!?" Luka questioned in disbelief.

"No more words! We will speak with our blades!" Granberia shouted, before they clashed again, their weapons dealing more glancing blows to one another.

"That sharp attack, I couldn't avoid...!" Granberia startled, as her cheek dripped blood on the ground.

"How many years has it been since I was wounded in battle...? Ahh, my pulse is racing, my spirit is burning!" Granberia shouted in a thrilled tone, rushing forward with her blade, Luka barely managing to avoid a direct hit again, his Enrikan armor saving his life.

"...It's time to settle this battle. Look upon my ultimate move!" Granberia finally declared, as her aura surged, focusing on her weapon.

"Gah! Granberia's ultimate move!?" Luka said fearfully, as I felt Salamander start communicating with him from within his body.

He gripped his sword resolutely, preparing his own strongest technique in return.

"Death Sword Chaos Star!" he yelled, unleashing his move.

"Ultimate move... Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!" Granberia called out, before the two fighters unleashed their most devastating skills, their blades clashing in a deadly dance.

I already knew what the result would be.

But actually seeing it happen was enough for my blood to boil for a moment...

"Uwaaa!" Luka yelled in pain, as he flew through the air, lightly on fire and full of shallow cuts, headed towards a rock wall.

However, I did not let his body hit the ground.

I blurred from my spot at Alice's side, catching my hurt friend as gently as possible.

"Wonderful... Inflicting a wound upon me even while taking my attack... Now then... What to do with the loser... What?" Granberia stopped, noticing my sudden appearance on the battlefield, as I held her defeated opponent.

I gently lowered my friend on the floor, before I wordlessly started doing first-aid on the worst of his injuries.

"What do you think you're doing? I still...!" Granberia started, as she moved a step towards me, before stopping, as I raised my head for a moment, my gaze meeting hers.

Her eyes widened slightly, as they took in my calm expression.

Then I simply looked back at my friend, resuming my work.

"...It's over. You won. If you're unsatisfied, just wait for Luka to master Salamander's power. He won't let you be disappointed then..." I declared, as I kept doing what I could to ease my friend's pain.

"...It is as Daniel said. Luka just obtained Salamander's power. Naturally, he has no idea how to use it. Once he is able to control all four spirits... Of course, he will grow far stronger." Alice agreed.

"...So spare him... Is that an order?" Granberia respectfully inquired to her Lord.

"It's nothing but a fact. You were the victor, so it's your right to do what you wish. Whether you choose to harvest the fruit before it's ripe or not is up to you." Alice said neutrally.

"...I'll be waiting for him in the Monster Lord's castle. But before that..." Granberia trailed off, turning to look at me again.

What?

"I'm curious to see how much you've progressed as well. Draw your weapon." the Dragon-kin commanded, lifting her greatsword once again.

Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds, everyone else staring at me, either in anticipation, concern, or both.

I blinked a couple of times, my brain failing to comprehend her words.

Then finally they registered.

Instantly, my expression grew fearful.

"Uhh... No?" I timidly replied.

"Good. Then I'll let you take the first... What?" Granberia started, before she caught up with MY words.

"Nope. No way. Nuh-uh. I'm not doing that. After what I just saw? Absolutely not." I continuously denied.

"...Are you looking down on me? Do you think these wounds are enough to inconvenience me?" the Dragon-kin inquired menacingly, her eyes narrowing.

"...I may have worded that badly. What I mean to say is, there is no way I would EVER agree to fight you." I fearfully claimed.

"What...? Why!? What's wrong with me!? Do you think I'm weak!?" the swordswoman furiously demanded.

"How the hell did you even come to that conclusion!? There's now way I could ever doubt your strength! You're a genius swordswoman who's been training her whole life, and a legendary monster to boot!" I incredulously yelled back.

"Then why would you refuse to test your strength against mine!? Do you know how many people challenge me in order to prove themselves!? Are you not a warrior!?" Granberia imposingly questioned.

"No, I am not! What ever gave you that crazy idea!? I am the farthest thing from a warrior you will ever see! I hate training, I hate pain, I hate even having to struggle for my own damn life! If I had a fucking choice, I wouldn't ever fight again!" I shouted in an incensed voice, my true feelings slipping through my usual facade, as I felt my own mind heat up.

"The only reason I ever started training under Alice was to survive! I didn't persevere because strength was my main objective! I care nothing for power! I have nothing to prove by comparing my strength with others!" I yelled even louder, before taking a deep breath, trying to collect myself.

"All that I care about is myself and the people close to me. If I could give away every bit of power I ever gained in order to protect us, I would. But the world doesn't work like that. I don't get to decide what other people want, even if what they want is to take something from me. That's why I need the power I have, however small it may be. Because in order to live and protect what I love, I have no other choice. I accept this as fact. But it doesn't mean I have to like it..." I concluded, my tone calmer now.

Everyone in the room stared at me with wide eyes without saying anything.

I picked up my hurt friend and started walking away towards the exit of the volcano.

Alice looked back at Granberia once, before following me.

Granberia herself looked stunned, her energy in disarray.

I stopped for a moment, sensing her inner turmoil.

I wasn't going to make the same mistake I had with Alma Elma this time.

"Hey." I called out, as I turned to face the Dragon-kin once more.

She automatically looked at me, as I started speaking again.

"Don't get me wrong. You and I may be different, but it doesn't mean your way of life is mistaken. I actually admire your single-minded determination. It's something I could never imitate. It's pretty much impossible for me to want something badly enough that I would dedicate my life to it. I'm just too fickle for that... So, you don't have to change. You're fine just the way you are." I concluded, looking at her directly in the eyes with a smile as gentle as I could muster.

She just stared at me wordlessly for a few more moments, her expression still.

Then I started moving again, Alice following a moment after, easily keeping up with me even as I started running through the tunnels.

~– ~ – ~

"You don't have to carry me like this..." Luka weakly muttered, as I ran out of the cave.

"Eh, I'd rather not stick around in this heat longer than I have to. Plus, you really should worry more about yourself. You're the one who got roasted and cut up like a well-done chicken." I quipped.

"Hmm... Chicken..." Alice trailed off thoughtfully.

"Hands off 'til he's recovered a bit. Doctor's orders." I deadpanned.

"...You're a doctor?" Luka asked in surprise.

"No, but I did read a lot of stories with doctors in them." I replied.

"That's not really the same thing..." he disclaimed.

"Shush. No more talking. Doctor's orders." I flatly declared.

"..Can I get a second opinion?" Luka weakly pleaded.

"Sure, if you want to undergo Alice's 'restorative treatment' for her own starvation." I easily agreed.

"I'm good." he immediately denied, blushing furiously.

Alice looked just a bit disappointed.

"...You do realize he's going to have to rest for about half a month before he can pick up a sword again, right? Those wounds aren't light. I don't want to wait that long to taste some roasted chicken..." Alice complained.

"Half a month!? No way..." Luka despaired.

"You will be at rest for as long as it takes you to recover, are we clear? Now shut up and relax." I ordered.

He just grumbled unintelligibly in response.

~– ~ – ~

We left the volcano soon after, heading towards Gold Port, as it was the closest human settlement.

Thankfully, we didn't have any real problem getting there, barely making it before nightfall, and easily finding a place to rest in the local Inn.

As I laid the already asleep Luka down on his bed, his wounds treated as best I could, Alice spoke up.

"Your endurance has increased quite substantially. I had expected us to have to set up camp halfway through." she commented.

"I guess having a monster parent does help in getting stronger quickly." I shrugged.

"Even many monsters are not quite as tireless as that. Your training has certainly improved your physique. You should be proud of that." Alice declared.

"I am proud of it. Though I can't take all the credit, you definitely were a huge help. Either way, it does feel good having a fitter body. I never would have imagined myself looking like this only a year ago..." I admitted.

Even as I said that, however, I couldn't help but think of the fact that there were now OTHER parts of my body I was not entirely comfortable with...

I guessed everyone had their own issues with body image, huh?

"But you don't care about your own achievements in combat?" Alice questioned.

"What achievements? I may have helped a bit at times, sure, but I doubt Luka ever would have lost regardless. He's way too stubborn to die before he reaches his dream." I deadpanned.

"And you are not? Your dream is the same as ours, isn't it? Yet, you never talk about it. But whenever either of us starts to question ourselves, you always say there's no chance of us failing." Alice pointed out.

"That's not what I said. Don't get me wrong, if there's anyone that can achieve that dream it's you two, I sincerely believe that. But what I meant when I said coexistence was inevitable, was that eventually, it will happen. Maybe not today, maybe not in a hundred years, but one day, people WILL realize the meaninglessness of racial hatred. They may falter again later, even multiple times. But time is infinite. Hatred isn't. Empires will rise and fall, wars will begin and end, and people will grow from every experience. So there WILL be a day when monsters and humans walk side by side. It's not wishful thinking. It's ineluctability." I explained.

Alice just stared at me, her expression dazed, but with a hint of worry.

"Now, don't misunderstand. Just because I know it will happen, it doesn't mean I believe people should just sit back and wait for it. Hell, if everyone acted that way, who knows how long it would actually take for things to change. And I truly believe you and Luka will be able to make that dream of yours a reality pretty damn soon... Also, I don't plan on dying for it either, in case you were worried. I like living." I quipped.

"...Hmph. Why would I be worried? You're too annoying to just lie down and die." Alice scoffed, looking away from me.

"Damn straight." I heartily agreed.

Inwardly, I did believe everything I had said to be true.

But I still had purposefully left out one detail...

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, Alice herself dozed off on her own bed.

I pretended falling asleep myself, breathing slowly with my eyes closed and lying still under my covers.

After Ilias' scrying spell finally faded, I waited about a minute, then got up and left the room silently.

As I walked away, I idly noted Luka's latent Light energy slowly filling his body, healing his wounds as he slumbered.

I knew he would be fine the morning after, despite Alice's prognosis.

I was looking forward to seeing her face when she saw that...

~– ~ – ~

I easily made my way through the port town, headed towards the seaside.

I walked on the beach for a little while, moving away from any unfamiliar sentient presences.

Finally, I hid my clothes and equipment under a bush, shapeshifted back into my true body wearing only my swimsuit, and tried entering the ocean.

Thankfully water didn't seem to feel any different than usual on my skin and scales, though my tails were a different story, as their fur made them look like they were covered in algae.

It didn't feel unpleasant per se, just very weird.

I fully entered the water, my body floating without much issue.

I was apparently still buoyant.

That was good to know.

I tried submerging myself using only my arms and legs for propulsion.

It was hard to get used to the way water resisted against some of my new limbs.

My fox ears seemingly were unbothered by the pressure change, despite their sensibility.

That had been a pleasant surprise.

I was worried I would have to shapeshift them away everytime I entered water, which would have been annoying.

My horns and scales were really no issue, as water easily slid off of them.

My tails trailed behind me like many floating ribbons.

My wings needed some getting used to, however...

I tried letting them go limp at first, but they caught so much water I was almost unable to swim forward with them open.

Thankfully they seemed sturdy enough that the stronger resistance the water offered didn't snap anything.

Since leaving the wings limp didn't work, I decided to see if I could maybe use them.

I flapped them once, throwing myself forward.

I moved quickly and painlessly, the sudden acceleration leaving me stunned for a second.

That had been FAST!

I had covered about ten meters or so in one wingbeat!

And my wings didn't even feel slightly strained!

This had potential...

I used my wings to propel myself forward again, my body cutting through the water faster than ever before.

At one point, I almost hit a rock, and instinctively wrapped my tails around my legs in a fishtail-like shape, using them like a rudder to subtly change direction.

I sighed in relief at the close call.

It was at that moment that I noticed another important detail.

I hadn't needed to resurface once the whole time.

What?

Touching my neck, I could feel some slits in it.

I panicked for a moment, thinking I had gotten cut on something.

But then I realized what they actually were...

Gills.

I had gills.

I could breathe underwater without magic.

For a moment, I was just...

Stunned.

I was able to fly now, true.

But this was different.

This was more...

Real to me.

Even though I had wings now, I rarely ever thought of using them.

Not only to hide them, but because flying on my own power was something I had never truly dared to hope for.

Ironically enough, breathing underwater was actually possible with the right equipment, even back in my world.

But sprouting wings and flying was physically impossible.

No limb, artificial or otherwise could have made one able to fly, back home.

This had been a dream of mine that I actually could have seen myself trying to fulfill, even if only once.

And now it had come true in the best possible way.

Only, the cost had been my humanity...

My expression became thoughtful, as my inner conflict raged once more.

Finally, I sighed, exhaling water instead of air, before speaking up, my words resounding clearly under the waves.

"...Fuck it. It's not like I can erase what happened. I can't deny the facts. Even like this, I'm still me. Nothing has changed about that. Hell, I can even be 'human' again whenever I want. This isn't so bad..." I trailed off.

I still wasn't entirely convinced.

But it was a start.

~– ~ – ~

As I swam back, I idly wondered where the gills themselves had come from.

I mean, neither Alice or any of the Heavenly Knights had any to my knowledge, and my transformation had clearly took 'inspiration' from them.

I had been around other monsters before, but none of them seemingly had such an impact on my monsterification.

I had thought it was a matter of power, which still made sense.

But then, who was on a similar level to them, among the monsters I had met on my journey so far?

It had to be an acquatic monster, one with fish-like traits...

I instantly found the answer.

Laura.

She was the Mermaid Queen, and one of the powerful opponents Luka would face in the third chapter.

I had spent some time pretty close to her when she had caught me in what I could only assume was her own little private beach.

Had she been the cause of this particular change?

If so, then she had given me something very precious indeed, however unknowingly and unwillingly...

I always did pity her, even before we actually met.

Her tale was a legend in this world, a terrible tragedy that had become common knowledge, an entire town seemingly existing only to remind her of the love she had lost.

I knew I was not the right person to help her.

I was hardly able to deal with my own problems.

And she had been living for a long time already with a pain I could not even begin to imagine.

Nevertheless, I swore to myself that if I ever had a chance to repay her somehow, I would do so.

If she truly had helped me accept myself, then I would do my best to do the same for her.

~– ~ – ~

I soon reached the shore, water flowing out of my gills as I rose from the waves, emptying my lungs completely in what felt like a perfectly natural biological response to interrupted immersion.

Of course, now my tails and ears were all wet, and looked utterly miserable.

I quickly used my shapeshifing to compress my fur together, the saltwater quickly sliding off of them.

I then decided to try to do something similar with my whole body, concentrating on making my surface as hydrophobic as possible.

All of the water slid off of me almost instantly, leaving me dry.

Shapeshifting was awfully convenient, when one worked around its limitations...

I then turned back to my human form, wore my clothes again and walked back to the Inn my friends were in.

I slipped into my bed silently, and started my simulation of sleep again, waiting for dawn.

I would have to do this a lot in the coming days, most likely...

I wondered if I could actually sleep again, one day.

No rest for the wicked, I supposed...


	41. Chapter 41: Gathering information

"Eh...? Where am I...?" Luka questioned, as he woke up from his slumber.

"Good morning sleepyhead." I greeted him, as he finally rejoined the land of the living.

"Daniel...? Ah, we're in Gold port, aren't we... What was that...? What a strange dream..." Luka muttered.

"What are you muttering about, you idiot? Do you not realize your own injuries? Lacerations, burns, a fever... An ordinary person would have died a long time ago." Alice scoffed.

"If you're looking at me with such scary eyes as those... It must be pretty bad..." Luka grimaced, before slowly getting up from the bed.

Of course, he looked completely fine.

"...It looks like that good night's sleep helped a lot, though." Luka commented, as he moved painlessly out of bed.

"...The hell it did! You won't move for a few days, and a complete recovery will take half a month!" Alice yelled angrily.

"But... Look. I'm already fine." Luka pointed out, waving his arms around to show his healthy state.

"Y... You're cured... What the hell is your body made of...?" Alice stammered in disbelief.

"Holy shit... I AM a doctor!" I quipped in an incredulous tone.

"I don't know just what's wrong with you..." Alice continued, ignoring my outburst.

"Oi, oi... Stop looking at me like I'm some kind of freak! Anyway, it looks like I managed to get all four of the spirits. Does this mean I can fight with the four Heavenly Knights on equal terms now?" Luka pondered.

"Don't be in such a hurry, you idiot. You just have the potential for it. Whether you can use that power, or whether it will kill you, is up to you. Besides, you don't even know how to use the power of fire yet." Alice denied.

"The power of fire, eh? How do I use it?" Luka questioned, as the spirits inside him started communicating with him.

"Oh, thank you. That would be really helpful... A little!?... So just to increase my attack a little bit, I lose the ability to recover? That doesn't seem worth it at all... I... I got it... Oi, oi! Don't fight inside of me! Break it up, that's it!" Luka concluded, as the spirit's power settled down.

Yeah, I would never get used to this...

"...Well, I'll praise you anyway. Good job on being able to attain a Serene Mind. As a reward, I'll teach you a new skill." Alice declared.

"Could it be one that uses the power of water!?" Luka asked excitedly.

"...Yes, that's right. Now that you've mastered that state of mind, you should be able to use it. Listen, first you need to put your sword back into your sheathe. The, entrusting your heart to the flow, you draw it and strike forward in the blink of an eye. In other words, it's the ultimate iai attack, that can be only be used with a serene state of mind." Alice explained.

"Hmmhmm... I see... That sounds surprisingly simple..." Luka hummed, starting to put his hand on his blade.

"Woah, woah, hold your horses, are you really going to practice such a powerful skill here!? At least wait until we are outside!" I immediately intervened.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, you're right! I wasn't thinking straight there for a moment..." Luka stopped.

"It's fine to be excited about a new skill, just try to avoid making us have to pay for damages to the room..." I sighed in relief.

"Indeed, the range of this technique is deceptively long. This room is a bit small to practice. An attack unmatched in speed that can only be performed with a serene state of mind... Its name is Serene Demon Sword." Alice concluded.

"Serene Demon Sword..." Luka repeated.

For about ten minutes after that, Alice explained the details of the skill to Luka, who easily followed her explanation.

"...And what's the horrible story that goes with it?" Luka asked in resignation.

"The monster Samurai Elreena cut an entire group of attackers in half in an instant with that move. She was said to have calmly sheathed her sword as their blood bloomed like bright flowers from their standing lower bodies." Alice recounted without missing a beat.

"Erk..." Luka grimaced, his face a bit green.

I inwardly snickered at my friends' usual antics.

"Now then... This skill is a little bit special, so listen to me. Of course, you can use this skill like normal. But be careful when using it with the power of water summoned. It will be powered up, But it will also drain your concentration." Alice explained.

"So it's the same as the other powered up moves..." Luka guessed.

"No, when you use the skill, it will forcibly end your serene state of mind." Alice declared.

"Eh...? That seems awfully inconvenient..." Luka complained.

"Use your head, you idiot. Don't you remember the effect when you use the power of water?" Alice insulted.

"My evasion and offensive power drastically increases. Oh, and my concentration is drained until I snap out of it." Luka replied.

"That's right... The effect goes away when your concentration is exhausted. In other words, you suddenly go back to normal and risk taking a powerful attack." Alice reminded.

"Ah... If that happens... That sounds really dangerous!" Luka noticed.

"In other words... It would be almost suicidal to have the power of water cut at a bad time." Alice pointed out.

"I see, that's it! If I cut off the power before my concentration is gone..." Luka realized.

"That's right, the power of water will be forcibly cut off there. Like that, you can protect yourself from a bad situation." Alice concluded.

"I see, so that's how it works... I get it Alice. Now I know how important this skill is. All that's left is a skill using the fire attribute..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully.

"...I wouldn't be able to teach you that. You've seen a certain Cursed Sword Skill user use it with your own eyes, didn't you?" Alice reminded.

"Granberia's ultimate move..." Luka nodded thoughtfully.

"It's a skill that genius Granberia herself worked out. I'm sad to say, but there is no interesting backstory to it. Simply because... Victory is almost always decided in her favor before she can use it." Alice lamented.

"...I won't give up..." Luka declared resolutely, gripping his fists tightly.

"That's the spirit! Now, let's get out of this room, I'm starving." I proposed, patting his shoulder.

"Alright, it's time to look around for a ship to the dangerous continent!" Luka agreed.

"But breakfast first." I interjected.

"Fine... Alright, let's go!" Luka conceded, before we moved out of the room.

After a delicious breakfast, we immediately headed to the port.

~– ~ – ~

"Excuse me... I'm looking for a ship to the northern continent." Luka politely asked a couple of sailors.

"Hey, hey... You think we want to die?" the first deadpanned.

"Besides, that continent is surrounded by mountains. There's nowhere to land a ship." the other added.

"Damn, it looks like I'll need to hire a smuggler then..." Luka muttered.

"Even a hired smuggler wouldn't do it. There's just no way to land on that continent with a ship." the first sailor denied.

"Then... How did it work before the 'Slaughter of Remina'?" Luka questioned.

"The Garuda Girl would pick stuff up and carry it over. Boats would sail close to the island near Remina, and the Garuda Girl would fly down from the mountains and pick the people and cargo up. Like that she would carry stuff into the city." the second sailor explained.

"So where is this Garuda Girl now?" Luka asked.

"Nobody has seen her since Remina was destroyed. She was probably killed with the others in the slaughter." the first sailor said.

"...Shut up, you idiot! That's a Hero! Don't say something stupid!" his comrade yelled at him.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

"A... Ah, nothing, nevermind. We don't know anything, sorry." the first sailor retracted.

"Now then Mr. hero, can you run along? We got work to do..." the other sailor trailed off nervously.

Luka was silent for a moment, before speaking up.

"...I didn't get baptized. I'm not a Hero. And that story about the 'Slaughter of Remina'... I've heard stories that go against what is usually told. Please, will you tell me what you know...?" he pleaded.

"I see... So you've heard it, too? It's a pretty nasty story, so we keep quiet about it. The story was told that the monsters slaughtered the humans in Remina... But that probably isn't right. It wasn't just the humans. The monsters were slaughtered too. All the monsters living there were probably exterminated." the first sailor confessed.

Alice glanced at me for a moment.

I simply looked thoughtful, my eyes slightly narrowed.

"Why were they all killed...? Do you know?" Luka questioned.

"It's a popular story among the sailors in this town. None of the monster birds were flying that day. Shortly after, the corpses of monsters started washing up... It wasn't monsters that attacked the town. It was something else..." the sailor trailed off misteriously.

Luka just listened in silence.

"No more talking, or we'll get yelled at by the Captain. Even if you want to go to the northern continent, we can't do anything." the first sailor declared.

"It's impossible to make it there by ship. Unless you're gonna sprout wings, give it up." the second sailor concluded.

I had to restrain myself from snorting at that.

"I... I see..." Luka acknowledged, as the sailors went bak to their duties.

We left the port soon after.

~– ~ – ~

"Hrrrrmmm... If I got close to the cliff by boat, maybe I can make it over on foot..." Luka muttered thoughtfully, as we walked the streets again.

"Are you an idiot? That's a perfect recipe for a shipwreck." Alice deadpanned.

"So it's really impossible unless I can fly...? Then maybe I can use Sylph..." Luka tried.

"What, you think you can make a huge tornado and jump into it to fly? You don't have the physical strength or the magical power." Alice countered.

"Hrrrmmm..." Luka hummed thoughtfully again.

"It looks like you have no choice but the Garuda Girl. With that monster's strength, she can easily carry you." Alice provided.

"Garuda Girl...? Wasn't she killed in the Slaughter of Remina?" Luka questioned.

"There's a small shrine in the west called the "Holy Wings Shrine". In there, a legendary bird god's egg sleeps. That should be more then enough to carry both you two and I on its back." Alice explained.

"Legendary bird god... It would be able to take us across? But what do you mean the egg 'sleeps'?" Luka asked in confusion.

"The legendary bird is very powerful, and is able to fly all over the world. To prevent its power from being exploited, it seals its young into an egg. The key to awaken it is put into six Orbs, which are spread all over the world. Only someone capable of gathering all six is worthy of reviving it from its slumber and requesting its aid." Alice elaborated.

"Orb...? Like these?" Luka asked, pulling out the gems we had accumulated during our travels.

"Yes, those are them. You were lucky to collect half of them by accident... But you still need the other three to revive the Holy Wings." Alice confirmed.

"I have to find three more? That sounds annoying... Then I guess I should start looking for information on the orbs... Wait. Daniel, didn't you say you had a theory on the Orbs before?" Luka suddenly questioned.

"Yeah, I did hear a bit about the Garuda Girl from my parents, though I wasn't sure exactly how the Orbs were connected. I also didn't know how many there were or where they are though. I'm glad we managed to gather this many already..." I lied.

"I see... Well, it seems like we really need to gather some more intel in order to proceed..." Luka trailed off, before suddenly, a familiar annoying voice yelled out.

"Did someone call!?" the voice said.

"Y... You...! ...Who?" Luka stopped, looking at the garbage can the voice had come from.

"It's me, Darling." Amira said, poking her head out of the can.

"...What are you doing?" Luka inquired.

"This town is the headquarters of Ilias Kreuz, isn't it? I'm hiding." Amira answered.

"I'm surprised you managed to fit in there, actually." Luka admitted.

"Getting in wasn't too hard. But I fear getting out will be... Anyway, you desired information on the Orbs?" Amira questioned.

"Yes, please." Luka politely confirmed.

"Then it's time for me to show off my information obtained from crawling all across the world. An incredibly wealthy merchant in Iliasburg had the Red Orb... But it seems as though he was robbed by the bandit group." Amira started.

"...I have that one" Luka said.

"The Yellow Orb sleeps in a pyramid to the west..." Amira continued.

"I have that one..."Luka repeated.

"Then I heard about a royal treasure known as the Green Orb in Grand Noah castle..." Amira kept going.

"I have that one..." Luka said once more.

"My information isn't useful at all..." Amira lamented.

"Well, don't let it get to you..." Luka said.

"I was planning on getting the Orbs themselves in addition to the information... That explains why I couldn't find them... As an apology, please take this." Amira said, spitting out a big jewel.

"Wh... What is this?" Luka asked.

"I found this while I was looking for the Orbs. It's called the Jewel of victory. Please take it." Amira pleaded.

"Thanks, I'll uh... Treasure it." Luka said, putting the saliva-covered jewel inside his bag.

"Then let me return to the Orb information... The legendary pirate Selene seemed to hold the Purple Orb last. Out of all her treasure, it seemes she valued it the most." Amira explained, going back to the previous topic.

"That Captain Selene did...? So is the Purple Orb back in that cave in Iliasport, too?" Luka guessed.

"...Sadly, it doesn't seem to be. According to the legend, Captain Selene took it with her on her final journey. She vanished during that voyage... So nobody knows what happened to it." Amira disclaimed.

"Then... Does that mean it's on the bottom of the sea somewhere?" Luka deduced.

"It could be..." Amira admitted.

"That's hopeless, then..." Luka said dejectedly.

"There also isn't eny information on the Blue or Silver Orbs either... Their locations are a mystery." Amira concluded.

"I see... I understand, thank you Amira." Luka said gratefully.

"Then I shall return to the world of garbage. If I find anything useful, I'll be sure to tell you." Amira said, as she retreated into the garbage can.

Luka stood there silently for a few moments, before we walked away.

~– ~ – ~

"Hrrmm... What to do...?" Luka pondered loudly.

"...I know where the Blue and Silver Orbs are." Alice finally declared.

"Eh...? Where?" Luka questioned.

"Let me guess... Two temples at the bottom of the sea." I posited.

Alice turned to me in surprise.

"...How?" she simply asked.

"Well, didn't the Kraken mention she was protecting one? Also, she's the Queen of the Southern Sea, meaning there's proably a Queen of the Northern Sea as well. And it would only make sense if she lived in a similar temple as well. Not that hard to figure out." I shrugged.

"Ah... Now that you mention it... I see... So the two Queens are protecting the Orbs?" Luka posited.

"...It would be troublesome for humans to revive the Holy Wings. That's why the Orbs are entrusted to Monster Queens. So putting them at the bottom of the ocean was a good location." Alice explained.

"Yeah, it was probably a good call." I agreed.

"I see..." Luka trailed off thoughtfully.

"The Blue Orb is at the South Sea Shrine that you went to before. But the Silver Orb is at the North Sea Shrine." Alice elaborated.

"Bottom of the sea to the north...?" Luka questioned.

"There's a boundary between the North and South seas, and the two Queens rule over each section. The Queen over the North Sea guards the Silver Orb at the seafloor there." Alice declared.

"I see, I get it... Perhaps I should look for where Selene's ship might have sunk." Luka concluded, as we started moving again.

~– ~ – ~

As we moved towards the port again to inquire about Captain Selene's last voyage, an officer suddenly approached Luka.

"Ah, the height of the one I'm looking for! Would you happen to be Sir Luka?" the officer questioned.

"Th... That's me..." Luka confirmed, blinking in surprise.

"Yes! I found you at last! Something horrible has happened in Sabasa! Princess Sara has been kidnapped by monsters!" the officer explained in an urgent tone.

"Ehh!? What happened?" Luka asked in a surprised voice.

"I was just dispatched to locate either you or Sara. I wasn't given any more details from the King than that." the officer claimed dejectedly.

"I... I see... Ok..." Luka stammered in confusion.

"Please, save Sara! I'll return and report that I made contact with you, Sir Luka! ...Farewell!" the officer pleaded, before running off.

"What is she doing this time? Did she run away from the castle to chase after Granberia?" Luka pondered wryly.

"...How stupid, just forget it." Alice scoffed.

"I don't know... I mean, I thought things were going pretty well for her, I don't know why she would rush things now..." I said uncomfortably.

I didn't want to risk them actually dismissing the problem.

After all, I knew that this time, the danger was real.

"You're right. We should definitely visit Sabasa to find out more." Luka agreed.

Alice just stayed silent.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, we reached the port again.

"Excuse me... Do you know Captain Selene?" Luka asked a man in a captain's uniform.

"Hmmm? You after treasure?" the Captain inquired.

"Yes, sort of. I want to know where Captain Selene's ship sank..." Luka explained.

"So would all of the treasure hunters in the world. It's still sitting at the bottom of the sea somewhere, waiting for someone to find it." the Captain said wistfully.

Luka silently listened, sensing the captain wasn't quite done.

"But still... There's a rumor going around about how her ship never actually sank. Captain Selene's ship is still sailing round the seas, the wood slowly decaying as it journeys on..." the captain recounted.

"About that... I've actually seen a ghost ship like that." a sailor from another ship piped in.

"It was around last year... I had the night watch. A ship in tatters was sailing by off in the distance... And flapping off the mast... Was the black flag of Captain Selene! Nobody believed me at the time though..." he lamented.

"That crap again? You were half asleep, man." another sailor interjected.

"Shut up! I saw it!" the first sailor yelled.

"Actually, I saw it once too..." another sailor started.

"Ah shut it. You were just freaking out and thought that little fishing boat was more than it was." another soldier ridiculed.

"The hell was that, you punk!? How about my fists let you know how 'freaked out' I was!" the third sailor yelled, as more and more sailors joined the heated conversation.

"E... Excuse me..." Luka weakly tried, attempting to stop the brewing conflict.

"I know it exists! Captain Selene's ship is still sailing on the seas!" a sailor yelled.

"I bet ya Captain Selene was seduced by them Sirens. I heard they were in the western sea, where she was heading off to." another sailor spoke up.

"They don't exist you idiot. Besides, someone like Captain Selene would have counter-measures for something like that." another sailor declared, as the discussion grew more and more incensed.

"I guess I'll be going now..." Luka said weakly, before we walked away from the yelling sailors.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked back into town, a woman with red hair and blue eyes approached us.

I could tell something was off about her aura, but when I tried to focus on her, she then felt normal.

That was weird...

Still, I already knew who she was, so I wasn't really worried.

"You've heard of Captain Selene, haven't you? Are you interested in learning more about that legendary pirate?" the woman asked.

"Err, I'm looking for the Purple Orb..." Luka trailed off.

"Purple Orb... That's the treasure Captain Selene loved the most. Even on her last voyage, she never let it leave her side." the woman commented.

"Do you know something about it by any chance...?" Luka questioned.

"Hmm... Give me a little time, then come back to see me. I have some preparations to make..." the woman misteriously requested.

"O... Ok..." Luka automatically agreed.

The woman departed soon after, disappearing into the crowd.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after that, Luka spoke up.

"I only need to find three Orbs. The Blue and Silver are at the bottom of the sea... For the Purple Orb, I 'll talk to that strange woman again... And lastly, Sara... Now then... Where should I go first?" he pondered.

"Well, that woman did say she needed some time to prepare, so I think going to the undersea temples first could give her the time she needs." I argued.

I did consider the possibility of taking a more direct route, since the optimal route from the game didn't mention just how long the travel time would be...

However, in the end, I decided that the risk of facing the strongest opponents early was too high.

Plus, deviating from canon possibly meant we could actually miss a couple important fights, as it was impossible to predict whether or not the monsters Luka was supposed to meet would still be there by then.

Overall, it wasn't worth it to risk my future knowledge losing value only to make the journey slightly shorter.

Not to mention that I still needed some time to adjust to my new body as well...

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable... Alright, let's go to Port Natalia!" Luka agreed.

"Are we going all the way back there on foot?" Alice asked in annoyance.

"Actually, I was thinking of riding on a horse carriage... We have enough money to afford it, and I'd rather not make that woman wait too long..." Luka replied.

"That sounds like a great idea! It's about time we actually got a ride instead of running around like fitness maniacs..." I immediately agreed.

Seriously, I probably had walked more in the last few months than the rest of my entire life put together...

"Hmm... I've never been on a horse carriage before... I wonder if they offer any interesting foods during travel..." Alice pondered.

Luka just sighed in resignation at her unending gluttony, as we moved towards the local stables...


	42. Message to the readers

So, as some of you may have noticed, it's been a long time since I last published a new chapter...

I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you guys, but I went through a pretty rough patch of life recently.

A lot of things happened, most of them bad, chief among them the fact my mom fell and broke a vertebrae about a month ago, and is still wearing a brace and resting...

Honestly though, the main issue for me, was the fact that I lost sight of what I wanted.

I've never been one to stick around 'til the end of a project.

I had always feared that this story too, would follow in the footsteps of the many things in my life that I have left unfinished...

The irony of it is that it's exactly that fear that has kept me from doing anything about it.

For as long as I can remember, I always had issues with self-esteem and depression.

And it's only recently that I realized a few things about myself.

I'm not perfect, and I never will be perfect...

But that doesn't mean I don't deserve to be happy.

It has nothing to do with how 'good' other people think I am.

It's about what makes ME happy.

And I LOVE writing this story.

I may have forgotten about it temporarily...

But that fact never changed.

And I seriously doubt it ever will.

That said, as I mentioned, I am far from perfect, and also have other needs apart from writing...

I also can't be sure whether or not I will falter and lose sight of myself again later on.

However, I don't plan on giving up on this story so easily.

I am grateful to each and every one of you who read my work.

I am even more grateful for every review and message I have received, as all of them, positive or negative, have helped me improve it.

But that is not why I started writing.

I started writing because I wanted to.

And THAT is why I WILL keep writing.

I don't like making promises, as I'm always scared I won't be able to keep them.

But this IS a promise to you guys... And most of all, to myself.

As a side note, I did a second revision of the whole story, and I believe it has once again largely improved in quality, especially since I finally learned how to make a decent transition from scene to scene...

As always, I would appreciate it if anyone took the time to take a look at older chapters, but I haven't really changed much, so it's not like it's a requirement to read the new ones that are going to come out.

Now then, I believe that's everything I wanted to say.

Again, thank you so much to anyone who actually stuck around to read my ramblings so far.

I look forward to working on some more of them in the future.

In the meantime, I hope you guys have a wonderful day.

~– ~ – ~

Signed, N0b0dyImp0rtant


	43. Chapter 42: Backtracking and collecting

The journey back to Port Natalia was much shorter than I had predicted.

Unexpectedly, I had gotten used to just walking my way everywhere we went.

Regardless, I enjoyed the ride, despite Alice's disappointment at the lack of delicious food...

Finally, we reached our destination.

~– ~ – ~

As we moved through the busy city streets again, Luka suddenly spoke up.

"...Hey, Daniel." he called out.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Did you maybe predict that we would need the Ball of Guidance again later on? I mean, I'm glad we don't have to bother Meia to borrow it, but you could have said something..." Luka trailed off uncomfortably.

Shit.

Need to deflect, now!

"Dude, you're giving me way too much credit... I really didn't think that far ahead. Besides, I doubt Meia would have minded you showing up anyway... She did mention wanting to 'reward' you again, remember?" I smirked knowingly.

Luka blushed furiously in response, sputtering incoherently.

"I thought you didn't approve of such casual intimate behavior... Does this mean you're reconsidering my offer?" Alice questioned curiously.

Luka's expression immediately turned fearful.

"Not really, sorry. And, about that, it's true that I don't particularly feel comfortable with casual sex, but my opinion hardly matters when I am not involved in it directly, no? I already mentioned that I don't expect others to conform to my own morals and ideals. I cannot be, nor do I want to be responsible for other people's choices. Everyone has a right to make their own decisions. It's pointless to gripe about that." I elaborated.

"I see... But wouldn't that mean it's wrong to try and influence anyone else's choices? Even if their decision ends up hurting themselves or others?" Alice pointed out.

"I never said that. It's fine to disagree with someone, that's also a basic right everyone has. And there's nothing inherently wrong in doing so openly, or even arguing or fighting with others over their decisions. The only thing to keep in mind, is that actually forcing everyone else to agree with you is impossible. You can't make the world as a whole conform to your ideals, there always will be someone that doesn't follow your ideals. And even if you managed to do just that, eventually someone else will come up with an ideology that contradicts yours... And that's not a bad thing. Sentient beings are also alive. Being alive means growing. And that growth is achieved by confronting yourself with the world. In fact, I dare say that, in my opinion, the purpose of life as a whole is exactly that. To grow." I concluded in a solemn tone.

Both Alice and Luka just stared at me with dazed expressions.

"...Besides, I know I would go crazy if I tried to take responsibility for everything shitty that happens in the world at any given moment. No one could ever shoulder such a burden and stay sane... Much less someone like me. How you two manage to so easily bear the burden of coexistence is beyond me." I added wistfully.

Neither of them said a word in response, still wearing the same expression.

"...Anyway, we should probably move, it's hot out here, I wanna go for a swim already..." I complained in a childish tone, the two of them finally snapping out of their reverie.

"Y... You..." Alice stammered.

"What? I know we have a mission, but can't I enjoy a good swim anyways? Besides, I didn't see you complaining last time as you were checking me and my swimsuit out... Should we stop to buy some for Luka and you as well? I think he would definitely love seeing YOU in a nice bikini..." I grinned playfully.

Luka immediately started his embarrassed stammering again, as Alice instead scoffed like usual and looked away from us both, though I could tell she was hiding a faint blush too at the thought of Luka in nothing but a pair of trunks...

Ah, young love...

"...Let's just go." Alice finally said, as we moved on towards the beach.

I inwardly sighed in relief.

That had been a close call.

Hopefully, I had provided enough cheap philosophic crap to distract them from topics like that for a long while...

It's not like I didn't believe everything I said...

But I knew that I had no right to lecture people.

I may have had a bleeding heart, but that didn't change the fact I still prioritised myself over others.

I could never compare to two paragons of virtue like Luka and Alice.

And my lies were part of that.

I was keenly aware, I didn't deserve to be their friend...

~– ~ – ~

"Ah, I remember this beach." Luka thought aloud, as we reached the same spot on the beach from which we had entered the ocean to get to the undersea temple the first time.

"It has been a while since we came here, huh...? A lot has changed since then..." I hummed thoughtfully.

Indeed, many things were different about us now.

Not only in body, but also in spirit.

However, some things were always the same.

"...Why am I getting all emotional. I'm not even near the end of my journey yet." Luka snapped out of his reverie, before starting to rummage through his backpack for the Ball of Guidance.

In the next moment, a dark presence I recognized approached from the seas, as Alice and I hid ourselves from sight.

"Eh...? Aren't you the one from before...?" Luka questioned in surprise, as the same Crab Girl he had already fought on that exact beach appeared before him.

"...Don't tell me you forgot about me. After all I went through to turn back to normal..." the Crab Girl seethed in rage.

Luka just looked uncomfortably at her, unable to say a word.

"I promised I'd get revenge on you, and trained nonstop... I won't let this opportunity pass! Prepare yourself! I'll wash your penis so thoroughly, you'll be in heaven!" The Crab Girl declared, her energy surging in a strange pattern.

"Luka, don't underestimate her! Summon Undine, quickly!" I yelled from my hiding spot, knowing the risk Luka was running.

"Wha! Where did you come from! Don't interfere!" the Crab Girl yelled at me, as Luka thankfully heeded my advice, his movements changing to a flowing dance, Undine's power flowing through him.

"My new skill will make you numb!" the Crab Girl yelled, as beams of light shot out of her pincers.

Even though I had expected it, I still couldn't help but be reminded of a certain Saiyan hero's signature move at that moment...

God, living in an Anime-like world was SO fucking weird...

Luka easily dodged the monster's new technique, immediately retaliating with a graceful swing.

The Crab Girl tried to fight back, but she just couldn't touch Luka, no matter what she did.

In the end, he effortlessly finished her off with a Serene Demon Sword.

"This is too mean...!" the Crab Girl complained, as she was sealed once again.

"...Got it now? Stop doing bad things." Luka scolded the small crab crawling around his feet.

"Stop doing bad things and start living a litt... Ouch!" he stopped, as the crab pinched him once again, before running off into the sea.

"What are you doing you idiot?" Alice insultingly asked.

"Reliving the past, apparently." Luka sighed.

"You know what they say... Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..." I quipped.

"...Idiot." Alice repeated.

"At least don't say it twice in a row..." Luka complained in a low mutter, as he finally raised the Ball of Guidance in the air.

Just like the first time, a dazzling light shot into the water, down into the depths of the sea.

I made sure my gills were closed shut, and thankfully, the artifact's magic didn't seem affected by my change of species.

I inwardly sighed in relief at that, as I once again shed my clothes, now wearing only swimming trunks again.

I noticed Alice glancing at me with a thoughtful expression as I did so.

"Alright, let's go!" Luka exclaimed, as we dove into the sea.

~– ~ – ~

Unlike last time, we easily made our way to the temple without any monster bothering us.

I still did enjoy playing around in the water on the way though.

I loved swimming...

~– ~ – ~

Just like the frst time we had seen her, the Kraken stood in the temple's main hall, looking up to us as we entered.

"Oh? You three are... Ah, of course. The Hero and the silver haired woman that I married... And the man who helped them get together." the Queen of the Southern seas spoke amiably.

"No! That's wrong!" Alice immediately yelled out in rage, trying to conceal her embarrasment.

Luka just stayed silent, as he blushed heavily.

I just inwardly laughed my head off at the Kraken's amazing mastery in the art of Kung-Fool.

"Sheesh... Next time you say something that stupid, I'll deep fry you." Alice scoffed.

"Ah... Ah, that's right... Forgive me Your Majesty. So what business do you three have here today?" the tentacled monster questioned.

"I came here to borrow the Blue Orb..." Luka explained.

"Hrm... The Orb is the treasure of this shrine. But you came all the way here once before for the sake of man and monster getting married, didn't you? As the Queen of the Southern Seas, I must repay that. I'll let you borrow the Blue Orb." the Kraken easily agreed, before handing Luka the aforementioned jewel.

"Th... Thank you!" Luka said gratefully.

"I'm not just giving this to repay a favor. I'm also entrusting my hopes with you. A time when monsters and humans don't hate each other... I believe that both you and the Monster Lord are capable of changing something." the Queen of the Southern Seas smiled gently.

"...Hmph." Alice scoffed, looking away from the tentacled monster.

"I'll make use of this Orb for the sakes of both humans and monsters." Luka assured.

"Like the Monster Lord, I'll be expecting great things from you, human. Now, allow me to send you off..." the Kraken offered, her tentacles already starting to move forward.

"N... No thank you! I can go back by myself!" Luka exclaimed, before rapidly starting to swim away.

I just chuckled at the scene, as I started to follow him and Alice.

However, before I could actually leave the room, the Kraken called out to me.

"Excuse me..." she started, as I turned around to face her.

"Yes?" I answered, inwardly slightly worried at the sudden deviation from canon.

"I just wanted to thank you on behalf of my subjects. Your proposal to reform the Marriage Trial was discussed at length, and the new laws have been put into effect a few days ago. Thanks to you, now the weak won't have to hire others in order to have their marriage recognized." the Queen of the Southern Seas declared gratefully.

"That's great! But this wouldn't happen to invalidate any preexisting marriages, right...?" I asked in concern.

"Of course not. Those who properly underwent the Marriage Trial before the new laws are unaffected by the change. Also, those who wish to undergo the previous version of the Trial may still do so and be recognized just the same, if they wish." the Kraken assured with a gentle smile.

"Wow... That's just... I have no words." I stammered in awe.

I had never expected my proposal to have such immediate consequences.

Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it again, after we had left the temple the first time.

Knowing that I had been a part of something so important for so many people...

It was undescribeable.

"...Apropos of nothing, may I ask you for a small favor?" the tentacled monster sudenly asked.

"Sure..." I automatically agreed, still overwhelmed by emotion.

"Could you give this to the Mermaid with silver hair and blue eyes the next time you see her? I would do it myself, but I have been pretty busy lately, what with all the new rules and regulations to implement..." the Kraken requested, holding out a beautiful necklace adorned with various kinds of seashells.

"Huh...? I mean, I don't mind, but I don't really know if I WILL see her again... I have no idea where she is..." I said wryly.

"It's not really an issue, even if you don't give it to her right away. Just hold onto it until you meet her." the monster insisted.

"Oh... Ok then..." I acquiesced, taking the necklace from her hand.

"Thank you. Now, I shall return to my duties..." the Queen of the Southern Seas concluded, as she started walking out of the hall from another entrance.

"Actually... Would you mind doing me a small favor as well?" I suddenly requested, making her turn back around.

"What is it?" the monster asked curiously.

"Well..." I started, before making my own request.

The Kraken's face when she heard it was priceless...

~– ~ – ~

"...Wait a minute, Alice!" Luka suddenly shouted, as he stopped swimming towards the surface.

"...Hm? What is it?" Alice asked, turning to face him.

"Where is Daniel!? I thought he was right behind us!" Luka exclaimed worriedly, looking around in search of me.

"...!? Woah!" is all Alice managed to answer, as the two of them were shoved away by a powerful current, my form sailing through the water like a rocket, leaving behind a trail of bubbles, screaming like a madman all the way up.

"Whoooooooo!" I yelled in exhilaration, as I exploded out of the water surface, briefly enjoying the feeling of weightlessness, before gravity did its job.

Luka and Alice both rushed to the surface as well, only to find me laughing my head off, even as I hung upside-down on a bent palm tree...

I could hear their loud facepalms from there, even as they were both still in the water.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked through the lively port town again, I was amused to see Alice drag Luka with her towards a swimsuit store.

I was less amused at having to quickly run through the city streets once more that very same night...

~– ~ – ~

The day after, we took another horse carriage back to Gold Port

Once again, the journey was quick and painless, no trouble finding us during it.

Man, I had missed the feeling of travelling on wheels...

I idly wondered if I would ever ride an actual car again.

~– ~ – ~

After reaching Gold Port, we immediately headed to the beach, Luka having already taken out the Ball of Guidance from his bag.

"I guess I just raise it like before..." Luka shrugged as he did just that, a dazzling light shooting out deep into the sea once again.

"Alright, let's go!" Luka exclaimed, as we all dove down under the waves once more.

~– ~ – ~

As we swam towards the depths, still keeping within the tunnel of light, a dark presence suddenly started approaching us.

"Hmm...? Something's coming..." Luka hummed, noticing the monster as well.

The monster herself looked remarkably like a normal Mermaid at first glance, but a closer look revealed that her tail had the wrong shape.

"Ah... Humans? Uhm... I have a present I'd like to give you. Can you come a little closer...?" the monster timidly asked, looking at Luka.

"Yeah, sorry, you ain't foolin' anybody. Luka, get ready." I denied, assuming a fighting stance in preparation for the enemy's reaction.

Luka was confused for a moment, before the monster spoke again.

"I see... That's too bad... Then I'll just have to give it to you by force!" she yelled, as she revealed her true form, her tail opening in a big, tentacle-filled mouth.

As Luka summoned Undine's power, I started cutting through the water at high speed, rapidly circling around the monster.

"Wow, you're fast! But I will still give you my present too!" the Dagon Girl declared, as she tried to follow me with her eyes.

Unfortunately for her, she had a hard time keeping up.

She tried grabbing me with her mouth, but all she touched was water, and I used the chance to throw a Karate chop to her back, making her stagger in the way of Luka's graceful swing.

"I'm going to catch you!" the monster sang, as she tried to wrap around Luka as well.

However, moving like flowing water, he dodged her advance, retaliating with a Serene Demon Sword.

The monster tried to catch him again, as his concentration was broken, but I swiftly blew her off course with a punch.

Then Luka finished her off with a last Lighning Sword Flash, stabbing his opponent in the chest with incredible speed.

"Noooo..." the Dagon Girl lamented, as she was sealed in the form of an octopus.

"That was dangerous... To think there was a monster that would mimic a Mermaid..." Luka sighed in relief.

"I'm surprised you didn't go swimming right to it, once you saw it was a Mermaid." Alice scoffed.

"...Don't say that. Hey, look, I see the shrine." Luka noted, pointing to a similar building to the one we had been at in the Southern Sea.

"Welp, I guess we're about to meet yet another local ruler..." I quipped.

"I wonder if she'll just give me the Orb...?" Luka pondered aloud, as we moved towards the temple.

~– ~ – ~

The temple itself was pretty much identical to the first one in structure, making it easy for us to navigate our way through it.

Even before entering the main hall, I could feel the aura of a powerful monster within it.

As Luka entered the large room, I and Alice stayed back just outside, hiding ourselves.

I didn't much fancy the idea of being struck by lightning underwater...

Standing before Luka was the Queen of the Northern Seas.

She looked like a strange mix of various types of sea creatures, large red tentacles with blue spots over them attached to a body complete with pincers, a woman's torso seemingly embedded within.

In one of her tentacles, she held a golden trident I could feel some sort of power from.

As Luka appeared before her, the Queen of the Northern Seas spoke up.

"...I am the Queen of the Northern Seas, Poseidoness. And you must be a thief who came for the Orb?" Poseidoness immediately accused.

"Eh...? No!" Luka yelled, even as the monster's aura surged.

"Thief who came to take the Orb... I'll give you a punishment fit for your crime, so prepare yourself. The best way to humiliate a male is..." Poseidoness started.

"N... No, you're wrong! I didn't come here to steal anything!" Luka desperately claimed.

"No discussion. I'll use my tentacles to play with you!" the monster declared.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, assuming a fighting stance.

He immediately summoned Gnome, and his opponent took the opportunity to attack.

"Hehe, I'll play with you nice and carefully... Is there anyone who can resist my tentacles?" Poseidoness chuckled, as her tentacles ran over Luka's whole body.

Luka ignored her, prioritizing Sylph's summoning over dodging.

"I'll coil my tentacles around you, and make you writhe in agony!" the monster declared, as she rolled Luka up in her appendages.

"Now then, how shall I deal with you...?" Poseidoness smirked, as Luka started using Gnome's strength to wiggle free.

"Settle down and let me squeeze you... How pitiful, hehe... I'll torment your penis..." the monster drawled seductively, as her tentacles caressed the bound young man.

Finally, Luka managed to break free, slashing at the monster.

"That's a Spirit...! The same power that Heinrich had...!" Poseidoness exclaimed in surprise.

Luka just kept slashing and slashing, as the monster tried to retaliate in various ways.

"Feel my thunder!" the monster yelled, as she raised her trident.

The weapon suddenly began sparking with electricity, a bolt of lightning shooting towards Luka.

By some miracle, he managed to get out of the way before the attack even came, moving like the wind (which was weird, since we were underwater).

The monster used the opportunity to slip a tentacle inside Luka's pants, playing with his member.

"Guh..." Luka grimaced at the unexpected stimulation.

"That's it...? I thought you might be a little more powerful than that..." Poseidoness mocked.

Luka slashed away at the tentacle, and quietly meditated for a moment, his energy returning to normal.

Then he dropped his current summons, starting to summon Undine instead.

The monster tried to bind him again, but Luka was now untouchable.

He slashed at his opponent with masterful grace, shredding her defenses, before performing a Serene Demon Sword.

"What skill... It's my loss." Poseidoness suddenly stopped, her weakened energy calming down.

Luka immediately stopped fighting as well.

"I didn't come to steal the Orb. Just..." he started.

"...I know, Luka. Why you came here and everything." the Queen of the Northern Seas interrupted him.

I really loved the fact BOTH Queens of the Seas were hidden Kung-Fool masters...

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

"I got a message from the Queen of the Southern Sea about a Hero. 'Help him if you can' it said. But I wanted to test you myself. So I decided to have a quick bout with you." Poseidoness explained.

"Oh, so that's what it was... I thought you really mistook me for a thief." Luka admitted.

"Of course... If I defeated you, I never would have recognized you. I intended to just punish you as if you were a simple thief." the Queen of the Northern Seas disclaimed.

Luka's expression grew fearful at that.

"But your sword showed me your power. You are a superior warrior, and are worthy of the Silver Orb. This is what you wanted. Now, take it." Poseidoness declared, holding out the jewel for Luka to take.

"Th... Thank you!" Luka exclaimed gratefully, before putting the Orb in his bag.

"Just so we're clear, I still think it's bullshit that you managed to dodge lightning UNDERWATER. Friggin' magic hullabaloo..." I grumbled, as I entered the room with Alice.

"Ah, the man who changed marine law... And Alipheese, it has been quite a while." the Queen respectfully greeted.

"Hmph... Thank you for guarding these Northern Seas." Alice spoke with a tone of authority.

"Ah... Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty." Poseidoness smiled gratefully.

Luka just witnessed the formal exchange with an awkward expression.

I shrugged and rested the back of my head on my hands.

"Hero Luka, I expect great things from you. I pray you bring some light to this world of strife. Never let that sword of yours waver and stray from your path." the Queen of the Northern Seas solemnly requested.

"Y... Yes!" Luka stiffly promised.

"And you. Your name was Daniel, wasn't it? On behalf of my subjects thank you for your contribution to our laws. You will always be welcome in these waters." the monster addressed me, bowing ever so slightly.

"I didn't really do anything... But you're welcome, I guess." I conceded, looking away in embarrassment at the formality.

"Now then, allow me to see you off..." Poseidoness said, as one of her tentacles started approaching Luka.

Man, I really admired Alice for hiring these two hilarious geniuses...

"N... No thank you! I'll return on my own!" Luka yelled fearfully, as he quickly ran away.

I just laughed loudly as I followed behind him, waving back at the Queen.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked back to Gold Port, I mentally prepared myself for our next adventure.

To be honest, I was scared shitless.

Not just because of the powerful opponents I knew we'd have to face.

But because, if things went like I thought they would...

I would possibly have to kill again.


	44. Chapter 43: Sailing and saluting

It wasn't hard to find the red-haired woman again, after we got back to town.

Just like before, I could tell something was off about her aura, but when I focused on it, she suddenly seemed completely normal again.

I knew who she really was, so I wasn't really all that surprised, but it was still frustrating being unable to understand how my own damn aura sense worked...

"Hehe... So you came. I've been looking for a Hero like you for a long time... A talented warrior... And further, you're interested in Captain Selene, right...?" the woman asked, looking at Luka.

"Ah... Yes..." Luka confirmed, despite his hesitation.

"I'm Selena. And you three?" the woman introduced herself.

"Err... I'm the Hero apprentice Luka." Luka replied.

"...The traveling Gourmand, Alice." Alice added.

"...I haven't really thought of a title for myself... Name's Daniel." I concluded in a slightly disappointed voice.

"Then, would you come to my house...? We can talk some more there." Selena proposed.

"S... Sure..." Luka agreed, as we moved through the streets.

~– ~ – ~

Selena's house looked fairly normal.

In a way, it was a little similar to my own, though it was just a passing impression.

I could never forget the house I had lived in my whole life, after all.

I idly wondered whether or not I'd ever see it again...

"I want you to come on the ocean with me, and help me look for Captain Selene's ship. I've already prepared a ship." Selena immediately started talking after we sat down on the sofas.

"Look for Captain Selene's ship with you...?" Luka repeated.

"This sounds like it's going to be annoying..." Alice complained.

"Alice, this lemon juice is delicious." Luka offered in an attempt to distract her.

"I am thirsty..." Alice acquiesced, starting to sip her juice.

"...I understand your request. But Selena, why are you looking for Selene? Do you admire her? Or are you after the treasure...?" Luka immediately asked, trying to get through the conversation before Alice got too bored.

"...I'm captain Selene's granddaughter." Selena confessed.

Of course, I knew it was a bold-faced lie, but there was no reason to ruin such a great prank...

Besides, I think in her place, I'd definitely have said something similar just for the hell of it.

"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed, gasping in surprise.

I faked being a little taken aback myself, to avoid suspicion.

Alice didn't seem to care, still sipping her juice,

"When Captain Selene was in port here, she gave birth to a girl. That girl was my mother... Keep this a secret, or there will be a lot of trouble for me." Selena explained.

"G... Got it... " Luka assured, still a bit shook by the false revelation.

"I have a clue about Selene's location. A letter she wrote to her lover in this town... In other words, a letter to my grandfather. She sent him a letter by carrier pigeon every month. All the way until her voyage met with disaster, she continued sending those letters." Selena continued.

"You still have all those letters!?" Luka asked excitedly.

Guess he was also a bit of an admirer too, huh?

"Yes... I kept them all. We can figure out the steps of her voyage by the letters." Selena replied, before opening a sea chart marked with various points and lines.

"I've filled in the points of her voyave on this chart. Her last voyage seems to be headed towards a certain undersea cave... It's about one week southwest of Gold Port... This letter from her talks about how happy she was to arrive at the cave." Selena elaborated.

"So she got to the destination of her last voyage...?" Luka questioned.

"She got to the bottom of the cave, and obtained her objective. The golden 'Calamity Box'. She wrote that she was going to poen the box that night... And that's when the letters stop." Selena concluded.

"What does it mean...? In other words, it wasn't just some simple accident at sea?" Luka pondered.

"Calamity Box, was it...? That should have been destroyed by the first Monster Lord... Just what was let loose...?" Alice muttered with a serious expression.

"What's wrong Alice?" Luka called out.

"No, I haven't heard a report about that... The seal couldn't have been broken..." Alice continued, ignoring him.

"Alice, do you know something about it...?" Luka inquired.

"...I'm just talking to myself, don't worry about it." Alice finally replied.

Luka didn't look convinced, but he didn't insist.

In the meantime, I inwardly steeled myself for what I knew was coming...

However, I had no intention to just accept the worst before the battle even started.

I would do what needed to be done, if necessary.

But I would at least make an attempt to avoid having to.

"Anyway... So you think Selene's ship sank where the last letter came from?" Luka questioned, turning back to face Selena.

"It may not have sunk, and is simply sitting there... It's worth going." Selena said, before folding the map back up.

"You wanted the Purple Orb, right? It's mentioned in the letters a lot. She always kept it in the Captain's Room, and enjoyed looking at its beauty." she continued.

"I see, so Captain Selena really did have the Orb... So what are you after, Selena? It isn't just finding the grave of your grandmother... Right?" Luka guessed.

"The Calamity Box... I can't allow the contents to come out of that box. The calamity she let loose must be sealed back to the bottom of the sea again." Selena declared, standing up from the sofa.

"...That's it for the discussion. Do you understand what we're after now? I already told you I prepared the ship. I want you onboard as a bodyguard. As for the reward, you'll get the Purple Orb. Assuming we get there safely, of course. So... What do you say? You in?" Selena asked.

"...Of course I'm in." Luka declared resolutely.

"And I'm going along for the ride, I guess." I added.

"Alright, then let's head to the port right now. Everything's already prepared, so we just need to set out." Selena proclaimed.

"Eh...? You're already that prepared?" Luka questioned.

"I was going to depart right after speaking with you. Even if you said no." Selena explained.

"I see..." Luka acknowledged, as we left Selena's house.

~– ~ – ~

"No issues here, Boss!" one of Selena's subordinates yelled out.

"Man, haven't seen a wind this good in a long time! This is lookin' good for us!" another smirked.

"It has been a long time since we last went on a voyage, I hope your senses haven't dulled." Selena grinned, as we stood on the deck of a huge pirate ship.

Interestingly enough, its crew was composed entirely of young women...

"Hehe, surprised? I'm the captain of this pirate ship." Selena chuckled at Luka's gobsmacked face.

"I... I see..." Luka stammered.

"Nice hat." I simply said.

"Why, thank you." Selena politely replied.

"It kind of seems like you wouldn't need a bodyguard..." Luka pointed out.

"...We have a reason not to fight. So we'll leave all the fighting to you." Selena explained with a hint of regret.

"G... Got it!" Luka exclaimed in agreement, as a strange melody started filling the air.

"Is that a... Song?" Luka asked, blinking a couple times, affected by the subtle energy spreading out from a dark presence approaching our ship.

I wasn't feeling any different, but the song was pretty nice.

"This song... A Siren is coming." a sailor said in a serious tone.

"...Everyone, run into the ship. This is a job for Luka, right?" Selena ordered to her crew.

Alice had already concealed her presence, and I hid myself behind a random barrel on the deck.

"Y... Yes!" Luka said, shaking off the melody's effect, before moving to the bow of the ship, where the monster finally showed herself.

She looked mostly like strange kind of Harpy, but her arms were similar to bird legs, her feathered wings hanging down her waist.

"I thought this ship had nothing but women... But then suddenly, I spotted a very high quality piece of meat..." the monster commented, looking hungrily at Luka.

"A Siren!?" Luka exclaimed, recognizing the monster's species.

"I'll indulge in your semen... Get drunk on my voice, and soar in the pleasure." the Siren spoke seductively, as the fight started.

Luka immediately summoned Undine, his movements becoming a flowing dance.

"Shoot it out in my mouth..." the Siren drawled, as she tried to lower his pants to suck on him.

However, he effortlessly dodged her advance, slashing at his opponent with unparalleled grace multiple times.

The monster flapped away with her wings, her defenses devastated by the onslaught.

"I'll make you mine with my song..." the Siren declared.

Alice suddenly appeared at my side, as the monster started singing again.

"What do you think you're doing!? Close your ears, you idiot!" she loudly whispered.

"Relax, I don't have any energy she can manipulate. To me, it's just a song. And she has a nice voice. I like music." I shrugged.

The monster really was good at singing, even without my mind being affected by the magic in her voice.

I really missed my songs...

Alice just stared at me in shock, not saying a word.

As for Luka, his Serene Mind was unaffected by the monster's energy, as he allowed it to simply slip past him.

Finally, the singing was interrupted, as Luka concluded the fight with a Serene Demon Sword.

"How could a human...!?" the Siren exclaimed, as she was sealed in the form of a seagull.

"Whew..." Luka sighed, putting away his sword, as the ship's crew came out of theis hiding spots.

"You're pretty good. As expected of the Hero I was waiting for..." Selena complimented him.

"A... N... No... It wasn't much..." Luka stammered in embarrassment.

"It doesn't look like there are any other Sirens around." one of Selena's subordinates commented.

"Alright then, continue on course to the west!" another one declared, as the other pirates took back their previous positions.

~– ~ – ~

It took us a few more days to reach our destination.

During the day, I just spent time relaxing with Luka and Alice, as we enjoyed the sea breeze together.

Every night, I sneaked out of my cabin, and did some underwater training.

It was a rare occasion for me to be able to train in such an enviroment, after all.

And my lack of a need to sleep provided the perfect opportunity.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, we were one day away from our destination.

"We're finally going to arrive tomorrow..." Luka said, as he came out on the deck.

Alice and I were already there, sitting down on a couple barrels.

"...I'm all fidgety for some reason." Alice spoke out, looking a bit nervous.

"What's wrong? Are you cold?" Luka asked in concern.

"Fidgety..." Alice repeated.

Luka looked confused for a moment, before shrugging.

"This is going to be difficult if Selene's ship has sunk. We might have to go back and return with a salvage boat..." he pondered worriedly.

"That won't be necessary. The ship is still floating on the sea." Selena declared, as she appeared on the deck herself.

"But... Didn't Captain Selene open that box 50 years ago? After all this time, nothing calamity-like has occurred, right? Doesn't that mean it wasn't anything special after all?" Luka questioned.

"If that's true, it would be good.. But..." Selena sighed, turning her back to us.

I inwardly sighed, feeling pity for her.

I knew what it was like having to lie to others.

But I knew that, compared to her, I was still lucky.

"You three should go to sleep soon. We'll finally be at Selene's location tomorrow..." Selena concluded, before returning to her own cabin.

"Fidgety..." Alice repeated.

Luka just looked at her in confusion again, before we all went back to our cabins.

I steeled myself once more for the coming confrontation.

~– ~ – ~

"Boss, I see it! Right in front, it's Selene's ship!" a pirate yelled, catching my attention as I did some more training in my own cabin.

"Luka, can you wake up?" I heard Selena's muffled voice coming from Luka's cabin, right next to mine.

Soon after, we all were on the deck, overlooking a huge, tattered ship in front of our own.

"This is is... Selene's ship...?" Luka questioned, overlooking the torn sails and half-rotted hull.

On it was a crest I recognized from the documents Selena had showed us.

All around it, a strange fog created an eerie atmosphere.

Overall, it looked exactly like a perfect setting for a horror movie.

I could feel the energy of a powerful seal, but it was worn down and about to snap.

Thankfully, it seemed like we were still in time.

"Bring us up to the side!" Selena ordered to her crew.

"Aye sir!" her subordinates replied, as they moved our ship to the side of the tattered vessel, throwing ropes over to it.

"It's dangerous, so we should only let a select few board the ship Luka, you're coming aren't you?" Selena asked.

"Of course!" Luka confirmed.

"I'm coming too. No way I'm going to stay behind and let you go in there alone." I declared in a serious tone.

Luka looked at me gratefully for a moment, before turning to a very nervous-looking Alice.

"Alice... It's a ghost ship, so you don't have to come... Wait on the ship until we come back." he told her.

"W... Who's scared!? This is nothing, I'm coming!" Alice shouts bravely, before timidly moving towards the ghost ship.

We followed behind her soon after, boarding the abandoned vessel as well.

~– ~ – ~

"Is this a barrier...?" Alice muttered, as she stepped onto the ghost ship.

"A barrier...? What for?" Luka asked curiously.

"It seems to be quite a powerful barrier against evil... Even now, it's still effective." Alcie declared.

"We managed to walk through the barrier with no issue though, so it's fine isn't it?" Luka questioned.

"It seems to be designed not to keep evil out... But to keep evil in. This must be how it has stayed afloat for so many years..." Alice elaborated.

"...What do you mean? Who would put up this barrier?" Luka asked.

"...Captain Selene." Selena suddenly declared.

"After opening the Calamity Box and waking it up... Selene used a treasure she found by chance, the 'Jewel of the Rotten World'. She used it to create a barrier to separate this ship from the outside world, to make sure that it never managed to escape to the outside..." she continued.

"What do you mean... 'it'? And how do you know what she did...?" Luka questioned.

"...I'll tell you later." Selena concluded, as a dark presence suddenly made itself known.

"A monster... Selena, watch out! Could it be the thing sealed in the Calamity Box!?" Luka yelled.

"No... It's something else. Since it was able to cross the barrier, it must not be the one it was set up for... But this barrier is still pretty powerful... A normal small fry would have been repelled by it anyway." Alice explained, glancing at me for a moment.

"I'll leave this to you..." Selena said, as she and Alice quickly left the area.

As the monster approached, Luka pulled out his sword, and I hid myself as well.

It wasn't time for me to intervene, not yet.

I needed to conserve every bit of energy if I wanted a chance to be helpful to him later...

I only hoped it would be enough.

The monster herself looked relatively normal, a humanoid torso with tentacles for hair, sitting atop of a huge starfish.

"Hehe... I'll finally be able to suck some human semen after being stuck in here for so long. I'll suck out all your semen... Then feast on that delicious body of yours..." the Starfish Girl said in a ravenous tone.

"She does seem strong...!" Luka commented, as he started summoning Undine right away.

"I'll hold it in my mouth..." the monster drawled, as she tried to take off Luka's pants.

However, he deftly moved out of her way, retaliating with a flurry of graceful slashes.

It was impossible for his opponent to touch him, and he easily finished her off with a Serene Demon Sword.

"After training here for so long... To think I'd lose..." the Starfish Girl lamented, as she turned into a normal starfish.

"Whew..." Luka sighed in relief, as he sheathed his sword, standing stll in place for a moment, waiting for Alice to show up.

However, she didn't reappear right away like usual.

"...Eh? Did something happen?" Luka questioned in concern, before shrugging it off.

"No point in standing around here though. Might as well search around the ship." he declared, as he went down the same stairs Alice and Selena had earlier.

I silently followed behind him, keeping to the shadows.

I knew I needed every advantage I could get.

~– ~ – ~

As soon as Luka got to the bottom of the stairwell, Alice's scream could be heard from the deck.

"Alice!?" Luka called out in a worried voice.

"Hyaaaa..." Alice shrieked, as she sped towards him, tears in her eyes.

"Wh... What's wrong!?" Luka immediately asked her, as she clung to him from behind, trembling like a leaf, her tail swishing through the air in terror.

God, they were so cute together...

"Se... Se... Se...!" Alice stammered, unable to form a full sentence.

"Alice, where's Selena?" Luka questioned.

"Ah... She's... That... That...!" Alice kept sputtering incoherently.

"I have no idea what you're trying to say... You... You didn't run away and leave her behind did you!?" Luka said in worry.

"N.. No... Sh... She... G...!" Alice started, before suddenly stopping, as another figure approached.

"...I'm right here." Selena spoke out, walking slowly towards the two as if nothing was wrong.

"What happened, Selena?" Luka questioned.

"That young monster seems to be quite terrified... More importantly, Luka. The thing I'm after is past this door." Selena declared, motioning to a decorated wooden frame.

On the other side of it, I could feel the auras of three powerful dark beings.

I silently prepared myself for the oncoming trial.

"Is your cryptic phrasing about 'that' and 'thing' whatever was released from the Calamity Box? It's a monster, isn't it?" Luka guessed.

"Yes... A legendary, horrible monster. It was all Selena could do to seal off this ship and prevent its escape. But that was 50 years ago. The seal has lost its power over the years, and is about to be broken again..." Selena explained.

"A dangerous monster like that is inside here...?" Luka nervously gulped, looking at the Captain's cabin door.

"We must not let them out. Luka... You must..." Selena started, before suddenly, her aura changed, and her body disappeared from sight.

"Eh...!? S... Selena!?" Luka exclaimed in confusion, as Alice cowered in a corner, trembling even more.

"We can't leave it alone. Let's go, Alice." Luka called out to her in a resolute tone.

Alice just silently shook her head in horror, before Luka gently took her hand and guided her through the door, unwilling to leave her alone.

I hid behind the wall to the side of the door, waiting for the right moment.

Peeking over the wooden frame, I could see the three fly-like monsters as well, one purple, one red and one blue.

"Oh... You're the little soldier that pirate brought. You seem quite delicate for a Hero..." the purple one commented, looking at Luka.

"Hehe... But he's awfully cute. That face just makes me want to tease him..." the red one chuckled.

"In the end, humans are only tools for us to use to lay eggs. Their only worth lies in the semen we can wring out." the blue one scoffed.

"Wh... Who the heck are you...?" Luka questioned, feeling the monsters' strange auras.

"The Queen of Flies..." Alice interjected.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed.

"There was a giant island in this area 1,000 years ago. A race of fly type monsters lived there, known for being both incredibly powerful and incredibly evil... Thus, Alipheese the first subdued them and sealed their Queen in a box..." Alice explained.

"The Calamity Box, you mean...?" Luka guessed.

"The legend of how it must never be opened seems to have turned it into some sort of legendary treasure to be found... The sealed Queen of Flies, Beelzebub... The three standing right in front of us..." Alice confirmed, turning to look at the three monsters.

"You... Seem to be a blood relative of the Monster Lord. How amusing... It seems like our time of revenge has come at last." the purple Beelzebub grinned maliciously.

"So all three of them together are the 'Queen of Flies'? ...Alice, step back." Luka requested.

"...What are you talking about? Do you think these three would be any trouble for me to deal with?" Alice scoffed.

"But you're still shivering like crazy..." Luka pointed out, as Alice's body still trembled from before.

"Oh my, how cute... Look at her, shrinking in fear just from the sight of us." the first Beelzebub chuckled.

"...It seems as though the current Monster Lord is quite the coward. It seems like taking control of the outside world will be far easier than we thought." the third commented.

"You're wrong! Alice isn't afraid of you! Anyway Alice, I'll fight them!" Luka yelled back.

"G... Got it... I'll leave this to you." Alice acquiesced, before vanishing from sight, as Luka turned to face the three smiling monsters.

"I take back my previous words. You seem to be quite powerful..." the purple Beelzebub commented.

"That pirate girl gave us quite the present. A powerful boy like this will let us create a strong army of flies... Come here and make children with us, boy. Our army of daughters will take over the world..." the red one drawled seductively.

"We'll make this world into a paradise for flies. All we require is your semen..." the blue one concluded, licking her lips.

"Not a chance!" Luka strongly declared.

"Oh my, how brave. We'll have to teach this boy that his only use lies in being a tool for reproduction!" the purple one proclaimed, as the battle started.

Luka immediately summoned Gnome and Sylph, aware that his concentration wouldn't last long enough if he called Undine right away.

"We'll squeeze it out... Indulge in the pleasure..." the monsters drawled, as they used their multiple breasts to press against Luka.

Luka immediately pushed them back, and started slashing furiously at one of them.

"Hehe... I'll hug you." the red Beelzebub said, as she used her breast-covered abdomen to restrain Luka.

"Do you like my embrace...? Your mind will melt away in pleasure..." she drawled said in a sultry voice.

"What a lewd face. Do you love being embraced by a Beelzebub that much?" the blue monster asked, even as Luka started to struggle.

"I'll never let go, so your struggling is useless... My breasts will milk it out of you..." the monster restraining Luka said, tightening her grip on him

However, Gnome's power surged, and Luka used it to break free from the hold.

"What power... This prey is high quality..." the red monster commented.

The third monster tried to catch him as well, but he was wary of such tactics, and simply slashed at her, avoiding her charge as he moved like the wind.

"We just need to stimulate you a little to make our daughters... How miserable..." The monsters drawled, as they released thousands of tiny flies from their abdomen, all moving towards Luka.

Immediately, Luka switched to Undine in order to counter the attack.

He slashed the cloud of flies with incredible speed and grace, all of them unable to even touch him.

Then he turned towards the opponent he had been concentrating on, and released a powerful Serene Demon Sword.

"H...How could I...? I thought he was weak... But..." the purple monster stammered, as she was sealed in the form of a fly.

"Her carelessness got her sealed!" the red Beelzebub yelled.

"It doesn't look like he'll quietly become our reproductive slave. We have no choice... We were originally trying to keep you alive, but..." the blue one said in a slightly regretful tone, as the two remaining monster's auras surged.

"Guh...! What power..." Luka grimaced, as he stepped back, covering his face with his arm.

I could feel Alice getting ready to intervene, her shivering having calmed down.

However, this was the moment I had been waiting for.

Suddenly, as Alice opened her mouth to speak, the red Beelzebub crashed to the ground yelling in pain, as I hit her from behind with a Shadow Hammer, feeling her tough exoskeleton crack under the impact, along with a throbbing agony in my own limb.

I just ignored it, as I immediately engaged the other one, rapidly starting to throw blow after blow at her.

"Wha! Where did he come from!?" the blue Beelzebub yelped in surprise, even as she defended herself from the unexpected assault.

"Daniel!" Luka called out in a worried tone.

"Hey Lukes! Sorry for the delay, I was waiting for an opening! Did you know flies have almost three-hundred-sixty degree vision? You have no idea how annoying it was trying to sneak up on them." I yelled back with a smirk, as I dodged the monster's own swings.

"What are you doing!? These are not just any monsters! Alipheese the First sealed them herself! It's the role of the current Monster Lord to keep them sealed! I should be the one fighting!" Alice shouted at me, even as Luka engaged the other Beelzebub, as she had risen from the ground and tried to attack me herself.

"Yeah, except these two are just small fries compared to you anyway! And we both know how bad you are at holding back! Need I remind you of that time you disintegrated that pot while trying to cook? Or when you accidentally revitalized an entire village of monsters when you were just trying to help some men who were a bit drained dry?" I countered in an amused tone.

Alice just looked at me with an apoplectic expression, half-worried, half-fuming.

...I would likely regret that later, but that face was enough to make it worth it anyways.

The two Beelzebubs looked at each other for a second after hearing my words, but they kept on fighting.

"You'll regret resisting us! Vanish..." they commanded, as they both sent a powerful destructive spell towards me and Luka.

I easily predicted the spell's course, as I shut down every other sense except touch and aura, and blurred to its side, the projectile barely missing me as I charged towards my opponent.

Luka had also managed to dodge his own adversary's attack, and was now wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

I couldn't hear the second Beelzebub's last words as my hearing was still inactive, before she was sealed in the form of a fly as well.

The blue Beelzebub tried to catch me in her abdomen, but I kicked the approaching appendage away, and smashed my fist to the side of her head.

She reeled back, stunned from the blow, and I took the opportunity to hit her again.

She recovered, and tried to charge at me, only to crash to the ground as I executed a Grasping Shadow using her own momentum against her.

Before she could get back up, Luka's sword stabbed her in the back, the last of her energy depleting, and I reactivated all my senses.

"H... How can a human be so strong...?" the last Beelzebub stammered, as her body dissolved into a fly as well.

"Whew... It's over..." Luka sighed in relief, as I put a hand on his shoulder.

Then I moved away slightly from him, grabbing a glass and a piece of paper from an old desk.

"What are you doing...?" Alice questioned.

In lieu of an answer, I blurred around the room, rapidly catching the three flies I could easily perceive within the glass, and closing it up with the piece of paper.

Then I used an old fountain pen to poke a few minuscule air holes into the paper, too small for the monsters to fit through, but enough that they wouldn't suffocate.

After that, I temporarily put the glass on the desk and took out a candle, lighting it up and using the melting wax to affix the paper to the bottom of the glass.

"There we go. This should hold for a bit." I said in satisfaction, as I held up the sealed monsters' temporary prison.

"...The legendary monsters that were sealed in ancient times... It's true that they were strong... But they weren't nearly as powerful as the Heavenly Knights." Luka hummed thoughtfully, looking at the glass in my hands with an awkward expression.

"...Their true horror lies in their reproductive ability. If they multiplied by 10,000 or 1,000,000 strong, they could easily overwhelm the world." Alice explained, staring at the sealed monsters with a concerned expression.

"That would be bad..." Luka grimaced.

"Eh, I doubt that, honestly. True, these ones are stronger than the average monster, but they're hardly all going to be Queens. Plus, the world's different now from what it was like 1,000 years ago. Alice and you notwithstanding, if I was able to take one of them on, I really don't think a few average monsters fighting together would be so easily overwhelmed. even by a particularly strong one. Especially those in Hellgondo, most of them could likely wipe the floor with the flies... The average strength of monsters has increased exponentially with time, since a lot of them had time to grow older and stronger. And humans have grown a lot as well, now they have some fairly advanced technology they could use to fight back, compared to back then." I shrugged, before turning to speak directly to the sealed monsters.

"But, of course, you guys don't have to believe MY words. You're going to be seeing all of these things yourselves. And after you do, I just have a suggestion for you. It's not like I don't understand the desire for one's own species to thrive. It's an instinct every living being has. But consider this. Would you rather try to rule over a powerful world that hates you and risk losing everything even later on, or for your species to thrive for a long time in a world that recognizes you as people and maybe even loves you? Just recently, we passed by a village called Succubus village. And the Succubi living there have no shortage of willing men presenting themselves to them. They don't have to live in fear of others stabbing them in the back, because they are all accepted by the community. You could have something like that too, and your whole species could be a part of it. Also, I believe that you're smart enough to understand that you are simply outmatched. Believe me when I say, that compared to what Alice would have done to you, you've gotten off easy. And I doubt that even a thousand of you could do more than mildly inconvenience her, as she uses hellfire to burn up every single one of them like poor, little metal pots..." I trailed off in a regretful expression.

"Stop bringing that up! It was a perfectly fine way to cook, that pot was just too weak to withstand my power!" Alice shouted in exasperation.

"You didn't just cook it, you DISINTEGRATED it, woman! Not even ashes were left! That pitiful pot had done nothing wrong!" I yelled back in mock-desperation.

"Shut up!" Alice roared even louder, as Luka looked back and forth at the both of us with a strange expression, before sighing loudly.

"This is the Captain's cabin, right? She said Captain Selene always kept the Orb close to her..." he spoke out, as he started looking around the room, quickly finding the purple jewel sitting on a shelf.

"This is it! Alright, I got what I came for!" he exclaimed, as he took the Orb in his hand, before putting it in his bag.

"What will you do with the Beelzebubs? They may not be a threat right now, but when they regain their power they might try to harm the world again..." Alice trailed off, looking menacingly at the three sealed monsters, as they immediately started buzzing desperately inside of the glass, weakly hitting the transparent walls of their prison with their bodies.

"I was thinking of handing them over to Tamamo. She'll know what to do with them." I replied.

I had no idea where else they could go, and I knew I could trust Tamamo to do a much better job than I ever could in rehabilitating the ancient monsters and help them in successfully reintegrating into modern society.

After all, she was at least as old as them.

"...I see. Very well. I will contact Tamamo after we get back on land. In the meantime, you will hold onto them. " Alice declared.

"Thank you." I simply said, as we moved out of the cabin, heading back up the stairs towards our own ride.

~– ~ – ~

As we crossed over to Selena's ship, we found her and the crew waiting for us on the deck.

"Thank you, Hero Luka. Thanks to you, those horrible abominations have been removed as a threat to the world." Selena said gratefully.

"Selena... Just what are you...?" Luka asked her.

"Luka, I told you a small lie... I'm not Captain Selene's granddaughter... I am Captain Selene." Selene finally revealed.

"Eh...? But Captain Selene is already..." Luka trailed off in confusion.

"I... No, we aren't living humans. As soon as we opened that box 50 years ago, our lives were lost. But having released the Queen of Flies, dooming the world... We were so full of regret, we were unable to move on to the next world." Selene explained.

"I see..." Luka acknowledged.

"But now... Now we have no more regrets. Thank you, Luka. I wish you luck on your journeys to come..." Selene said sincerely.

"We can start on our final journey without any regrets now, too... Thank you, Hero..." the crew members added, as all of them slowly faded away from sight, dissolving into wisps of smoke with smiles on their faces.

We all just stood there in silence for a little while, in honor of the departed legendary pirate captain and her crew.

She must have had the time of her life messing with us by pretending to be her own granddaughter...

I know I would have.

"...But still... It looks like we were actually riding on a haunted ship all this time. Isn't that kind of funny, Alice? ...Alice?" Luka called out, turning around to face her.

I couldn't help but facepalm, as we both overlooked her stock-still form, her pupilless eyes frozen open, completely unmoving.

How she had managed to faint while still standing stably upright with the lower half of a snake, I had no idea...

All that I knew, was that living in an anime was weird as all hell.


	45. Chapter 44: Helping a friend in need

It took us a couple days to get back to Gold Port, as the ship sailed back on its own, almost as if controlled by the invisible power of Selene's crew.

As soon as we got back, we immediately left town, wanting to avoid having to answer any hard questions like how we had managed to sail such a large ship on our own.

~– ~ – ~

After we had moved out of the city, Alice teleported to her own castle, bringing with her the Beelzebubs, still sealed in their improvised prison.

It only took her a few minutes to come back empty-handed, Tamamo having apparently accepted my request to help rehabilitate the ancient monsters without complaint.

I did feel proud about having managed to stop Alice from just killing the three of them.

I knew she would most likely have felt terrible about it, despite her stoic facade.

And I had also contributed to preserving an entire species of sentient beings in the process, which was nice.

It didn't make up for all the lives that would later be lost during the invasion because of my failure to stop it from happening in the first place, but it was something.

"I'm concerned about this story of the princess being kidnapped again. Shall we head back to Sabasa to see what's happening?" Luka proposed, as we were finally ready to depart.

"Yeah, I hope it's just another false alarm too, but in the off-chance that it isn't, I don't want to risk it." I agreed thoughtfully.

"Whatever. Let's just move quickly." Alice scoffed, though at least she wasn't mad at Luka like in canon.

Soon after, we started walking towards Sabasa again.

~– ~ – ~

The journey was much shorter the second time around, as we all were much better prepared for it.

We moved as fast as possible, only stopping to resupply, or at night.

Finally, we could see the silhouette of a large castle over the sandy horizon.

~– ~ – ~

"Thank you for coming, Hero Luka. I believe you have already heard, but Sara has been kidnapped by monsters again." the King of Sabasa spoke in a strong tone, trying to conceal his own nervousness, as we all stood in his throne room once again.

"What exactly happened? Can you tell me all the details...?" Luka politely requested.

"It was a few days ago... She went outside the castle to practice her swordplay, and never came back. I usually train her personally, but that day, I was just too busy managing the kingdom... According to her guards, it was as if she vanished like smoke. Then a short while later, this came..." the King explained, holding out a piece of parchment.

"A letter...?" Luka asked, as he opened the paper to examine it.

Over his shoulder, I could also see the inside of it.

Even if I hadn't been able to, however, I would still have been able to guess the contents.

'To the Sabasa King. I have your daughter. If every human leaves Sabasa, I shall return her to you.' is all the paper said.

"She really was kidnapped!?" Luka exclaimed, after reading the ransom note.

"I knew it..." I muttered in concern, the King glancing at me as I did so.

Sudenly, Alice snatched the letter away from Luka, and started to sniff it of all things.

"Alice, stop joking around at a time like this. We can't have you eating evidence..." Luka scolded her.

"As if I would! You're the one that needs to stop screwing around, you idiot!" Alice yelled back, before continuing her work.

"...It smells like Elves. And a small hint of Fairy. Whomever wrote this note must be a very high-ranking monster, too. Probably... Queen class." she declared in the end.

"A Queen class Elf...? What are you going to do, King? The letter lays out the terms for her return..." Luka questioned.

"...As the King, I cannot grant that request. Sabasa is our homeland." The King declared in a regretful tone.

"But the princess..." Luka pointed out.

"...I am the King of this entire region. I can't force all the citizens to suffer for the sake of my own family." the King replied, gritting his teeth in barely restrained fury.

"B... But...!" Luka stammered.

"Calm down, you idiot. Think about why you were called here." Alice ordered.

"...That's right. Hero Luka. I wish to ask for your assistance in rescuing my daughter." the King requested.

"Of course I 'll help you. But do you have any idea where she is?" Luka agreed.

"We have a lead based on our extensive intelligence gathering. There's a small Island to the west of here called 'Fairy's Island'. It's an isolated island filled with Elves and Fairies... It seems as though Sara was taken there." the King explained.

"Fairy's Island..." Luka repeated, glancing at Alice for a moment.

"I'll arrange for a ship to land you on the island. Soldiers, too. As many as possible." the King declared.

"...Soldiers aren't needed. They would just get in Luka's way as he is now. Just more people he would have to rescue after Sara" Alice denied.

"...To think something like this would happen right after I..." the King trailed off, gripping his fists tight with a frustrated expression, before turning to me.

"...May I have a word with you?" he politely requested.

I just nodded with a serious expression, before following him in a different room, away from anyone else's gaze.

~– ~ – ~

After shutting the door behind us, the King then fell to his knees, all pretense of composure gone, as he started trembling.

"...I asked for Hero Luka's help as a King. I was unable to follow through on my own promise to prioritize my daughter over my duties... As Sara's father, I beg of you... Please, PLEASE save my daughter..." the man pleaded, bowing his head down so low that it touched the ground.

I immetiately pulled him back up on his feet, his expression one of surprise as I did so effortlessly, before I turned my back to him.

"...As if you'd even need to ask." I spoke in a resolute tone, as I moved to rejoin my comrades.

"...Not much of a warrior my ass..." the King muttered in a low whisper, as he followed me back to the throne room.

~– ~ – ~

"I am truly sorry for burdening you with so much... If I wasn't the King, I would have swam to that Island myself." the King apologised, though he appeared to be a bit more relaxed now.

"...Don't worry. This is a Hero's work. You should concern yourself with a King's work." Alice replied.

"Who are you, and what did you do with Alice...? Anyway, leave this to me!" Luka declared resolutely.

"Yes, I'm counting on you..." the King nodded, glancing at me once.

I just met his eyes, nodding imperceptibly.

Soon after that, me, Luka and Alice boarded the ship the King had prepared for us, sailing out towards the place Sara was being held captive.

~– ~ – ~

"Alright then, I'll wait here until you come back." the ship's Captain declared, as we touched down on Fairy's Island.

"Please leave right away if it gets dangerous." Luka warned him, as we moved towards the vegetation.

"...I feel power coming from the center of the island... Alright, let's go deeper into the forest." Luka declared.

"I'll keep to the shadows. No reason to give away our surprise advantage, if it can be avoided." I added.

"Alright. Be careful." Luka pleaded, as we both moved into the vegetation.

~– ~ – ~

"Such a huge forest on such a tiny island..." I heard Luka mutter, as a small but powerful dark presence approached him from behind.

"Ehehe... It's just like the Queen said! A Hero came to save the princess!" a Fairy with green hair and blue eyes, wearing a tiny black frilly dress exclaimed.

"You seem to already know why I'm here. Please return the princess..." Luka requested.

"Noooo waay. The princess is going to become our friend!" the Fairy singsang.

"Your friend...? What do you mean...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"And then you, you know... You're going to be... My new toy! I'm a reeeeaally strong Fairy, you know! I can make a human boy like you into a toy really easily! Ahaha, ok, here I coooome!" the Fairy singsang, as she charged forward.

Luka immediately summoned Gnome and Sylph, as the little Fairy zipped towards his pants.

"Let me rub it!" she singsang, as she tried to put her hands in them.

However, Luka quickly slashed at the small monster, knocking her off course.

"I wanna see if my butt can make the white stuff come out!" the Fairy yelled, as she retaliated by pressing her butt onto his crotch.

Luka started wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star, the small Fairy's defenses devastated by the onslaught.

Finally, with a last slash, Luka sealed the deal.

"Nooo!" the Fairy screamed, as she was sealed into the form of a tiny butterfly.

"...Whew, she was pretty tough... I can't be careless here..." Luka sighed in relief, as he started walking again.

I hadn't interfered with this battle for two reasons.

First, Luka had it handled, and I still wanted to let him gain experience as much as possible.

Second, the Fairy's body was too tiny and fragile-looking for me to just punch her.

I knew she was being an accomplice to a kidnapping, but I didn't want to break her wings or something...

Sometimes, I hated the not-so-bad part of me.

~– ~ – ~

After some more walking, Luka finally reached the clearing where the two powerful auras I had felt as soon as we had come onto the island were standing.

One was a regal-looking Fairy, while the other was an elegantly dressed Elf, both of them Queen-class.

And tied up in ivy to a nearby tree, Sara's armor-clad form could be seen as well.

"Luka, you came to save me!?" the captured princess exclaimed in surprise.

"Wait a moment, Sara. First I need to deal with these two..." Luka replied, facing the two monsters.

"I have not met you before... I am the Queen Elf, who will unite all Elves of the world." The Queen Elf proclaimed.

"And I'm Queen Fairy, the most powerful Fairy. Hehehe... Nice to meet you." Queen fairy greeted.

"Both Queens...? Why would you kidnap the princess? What are you planning...?" Luka asked in a wary tone.

"...Long ago, our brethren lived in the Sabasa region. However, when those humans moved in, they stole our homeland." Queen Elf explained.

"We don't like fighting. So we continued to avoid fighting with the humans as they took more and more land. Until finally... we were driven all the way to this remote island." Queen Fairy continued.

Luka was silent, looking at them both in sympathy.

"We were mistaken. But we realized our folly far too late. Even if we disliked fighting, we should have protected our homeland!" Queen elf yelled angrily.

"Sabasa was ours to begin with. The time for us to reclaim it has come." Queen Fairy declared.

"So you took Sara hostage, and are trying to make the King leave!?" Luka asked in realization.

"Hehe, that's not why we kidnapped her. The letter was just for us to have a little fun making him squirm." Queen Fairy disclaimed.

"Our true purpose is to make Sara into a monster." Queen Elf proclaimed.

"Wh... What!?" Luka exclaimed.

"Wait, what do you mean!?" Sara questioned.

"With our power, it would be a simple matter to turn a single human into a monster. We'll turn the King's only daughter into one of us... Then when the King dies, the inheritance will pass to her. After Sara, we'll turn everyone in the castle into a monster, one by one. Like that, we'll reclaim our land without shedding a single drop of blood." Queen elf explained.

"N... No way..." Luka stammered in horror.

"It's true us humans were clearly at fault... But what you're trying to do is just crazy! Why can't we settle this peacefully? There doesn't need to be any hostage-taking or fighting... If we just discussed it..." Sara started.

"Discuss it with humans? Those same humans who praise Ilias and desire our destruction? Please don't test my patience with foolish jokes. There's no way humans would ever deal with us fairly." Queen Elf scoffed.

"That's wrong! My father would definitely listen to monsters..." Sara tried.

"...Please, cease that foolish prattling." Queen Elf interrupted, as she snapped her fingers, her energy causing the ivy around Sara to grow and force itself into her mouth.

"Nnnn!" Sara let out in a muffled yelp, blushing heavily, as the ivy was filled with a strange energy.

"That's the end of this discussion. Princess, I'm going to turn you into a monster now. Queen Fairy, I leave this human Hero to you" Queen Elf declared.

"Of course... Sara has quite the potential in her, I'm looking forward to seeing her when she is reborn." Queen Fairy said, putting herself between Luka and the Queen Elf.

"Step aside! I won't let you turn her into a monster!" Luka commanded, unsheathing his sword.

"Hehe, I won't let you disturb her. Sara will become one of us..." Queen Fairy proclaimed, as her energy surged through the surrounding plants.

However, that was the moment I chose to intervene, as both Queens' attention was on Luka.

"Not if I have anything to say about it she won't." I suddenly interjected, as I appeared in front of Sara's bound form, my dagger easily slashing through the ivy holding her before I blurred away, carrying her in my arms.

"What!? Where did he come from!?" Queen Elf yelled in surprise, as I stood away from the animated plants, my aura sense telling me the safest spot to be.

"...Daniel? Is that you?" Sara asked, looking at my face with a dazed expression.

"Who else am I supposed to be? A purple chipmunk? That's Luka, you know." I quipped.

"...Why am I a chipmunk?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Because you're small and it's the first joke that came to mind." I answered.

Luka just facepalmed at that.

"I feel... Weird..." Sara spoke in a slurred voice.

"Just relax, we'll take care of the rest." I assured, as I set her down under a dead tree that had likely been struck by lightning.

"Damn you! I won't let you interfere with our plan!" the Queen Elf declared, as her energy surged through the plant life around me.

Instantly, I blurred away before the magically controlled ivy could wrap me up.

"You know, I don't really get why you would want to live in a desert of all places... Given Fairies and Elves' usual habitat, that just sounds weird to me." I commented, as I stood behind her, a few meters from her back.

"Sabasa is our homeland! Its oasis was the sanctuary of my people, before it was stolen from us!" Queen Elf yelled angrily, sending more energized plants towards me, as Luka fought against the Queen Fairy instead.

"I suppose that makes sense. That place IS ridiculously prosperous..." I hummed thoughtfully, as I weaved through the green, using my dagger to cut through the moving vines.

"Shut up! You humans could never understand us monsters!" Queen Elf shouted back, as she commanded the forest itself to attack me en masse.

I was able to dodge most of the plants, but a couple of big tree branches finally managed to restrain my arms.

"There! Now I will...!" Queen Elf started getting closer to me, before suddenly stopping as I heaved with all of my strength, eradicating the tree the branches were connected to.

"...I never said I was a human, didn't I?" I pointed out, as I shook off the plant matter from my body.

"Wh... What are you!? How can a human be so strong without...!" Queen elf stopped, as she finally realized she had been unable to feel my aura during the whole fight.

"Yeah, I'm a bit of an abnormality. Not even I'm sure of exactly WHAT I am at this point..." I sighed wryly.

As the Queen Elf looked at me with hatred and fear, Luka finally managed to finish his fight with the Queen Fairy, a Serene Demon Sword depleting the last of her energy.

"How... Could I lose...?" the Queen Fairy stammered, as she was sealed into the form of a butterfly.

"Alright, I defeated her!" Luka exclaimed.

"Impossible... The Queen Fairy fell to a human? The princess hasn't been turned into a monster yet... But I have no choice. I shall be your opponent. I dislike violence... But you leave me no choice." the Queen Elf declared, facing the both of us.

"...Won't you just stop this already? Even you know that doing it this way is a mistake, right?" Luka pleaded.

"Yes... This method is a mistake. We're repeating the same mistake you humans made long ago. But... We are monsters, you are humans. We're destined to fight and hate each other." Queen Elf proclaimed.

"...No. I know that's wrong for sure. I don't deny that we humans were wrong. I don't deny the pain that you went through until now... But I'll never accept that! Human and monster aren't fated to always hate each other!" Luka strongly declared.

"We never attempted to understand the humans. And you humans never attempted to understand us. But it's far past the point of simply discussing things with each other." Queen Elf claimed.

"But we don't have to fight!" Luka protested.

"I don't intend to waste time in a pointless argument. We never intend to compromise with humans any more." Queen Elf mercilessly denied.

"Guh..." Luka grimaced at the sheer bitterness in her voice.

"I'll show you the anger we harbor for you invading humans. I'll humiliate and degrade you, stripping away all dignity you had as a human. Prepare yourself, human. I'm going to take everything from you." Queen Elf declared, seductively licking her lips.

Luka immediately started summoning his spirits, as I blurred forward to keep the enemy busy as he did so.

The Queen Elf's hands shot towards my waist, as she decided to change tactics compared to her earlier show of might.

I deflected her hands with my own, pushing them to the side.

She took the opportunity to try and kiss me, and I put a foot on her abdomen, kicking myself away from her in a backflip.

As she was still off-balance, Luka charged forward, passing under me, and he slashed at her with his sword.

"Hehe... Can you endure this technique?" the monster seductively drawled, as she put a hand in Luka's pants, stroking him slowly.

Luka just ignored the stimulation, attacking her again.

"Hehe... I'll end you in an instant." the Queen Elf declared, as she grabbed Luka's shoulders, embracing him and trying to put his member inside her without hesitation.

I quickly pulled him away from her, and threw a palm strike at her midsection with my other hand.

She recoiled from the blow, but instantly attempted to grapple me instead, holding onto my arm with both hands.

I headbutted her hard, forcing her to let go, as she held her throbbing forehead.

"Shall I turn you into my puppet?" she grinned, as her eyes flashed with magic.

I covered Luka's eyes just in case, myself being unaffected by the monster's technique.

"What? How is this possible!?" the Queen Elf asked in disbelief.

"Hard to affect energy that's not there, I'm afraid." I shrugged.

"Then I will just have to suck out what little you actually have in you!" the Queen Elf yelled, lifting her skirt and starting to masturbate.

"Hehe... I'm ready for you now... My pussy... The next thing that goes inside will be squeezed dry..." she drawled in a sultry tone, panting excitedly.

I just sighed, as I deactivated my sight along with both smell and taste, that had been suppressed all along since the start of the fight.

"I shall leave you dry!" the monster declared, as she literally tried to jump my bones.

I just blurred away, the monster touching only an afterimage.

Luka used the opportunity to wail on his opponent with a Death Sword Chaos Star, devastating her defenses.

"Guh...!" the Queen Elf grimaced, as she fell to her knees, her energy drained by the unrelenting assault.

"...Why aren't you even willing to try discussing with humans?" Luka asked in a regretful tone, as the Queen Elf gasped for air.

"How could we discuss anything with barbarians!?" Queen Elf yelled back angrily.

"...Why aren't you willing to try to understand humans? Do you think them stupid, and incapable of understanding you?" Luka questioned.

"Do you think humans could ever understand our pain!?" Queen Elf countered incredulously.

"If you look down on them and treat them as weak, inferior beings... You'll never be able to understand them. It's true that what happened to you is horrible... But there has to be another solution out there. It's come to this because you were unwilling to look at humans as equals. You need to discuss this as equals with the humans, and come to an agreement..." Luka explained.

"Why would they even accept our negotiations!? We're just monsters to be destroyed, right!? That's what your precious Ilias orders!" Queen Elf pointed out.

"No! I want humans and monsters to live in peace!" Luka denied.

"Quiet! In the end, you're just another barbaric human thrusting your view by force!" Queen Elf yelled, as suddenly, a powerful dark aura appeared close to us, the very earth rumbling from its might.

"Wh... What is it!? More of her allies!?" Luka questioned.

"What is this!? Did you do something to this island!?" Queen Elf yelled at the same time, as they both looked at each other in panic.

Then, all of us turned towards Sara's form, as she rose from the ground, her body visibly changing in front of our eyes.

"What the hell... It was enough to just expose her to the magic for that long!?" I grimaced incredulously.

"I thought we stopped the ritual!? Were we too late!?" Luka asked.

"This... This isn't possible... That power... It's the same as a Queen class monster... How can a human who just became a monster be this powerful? It must be... Blood from a monster already flowed through her veins. I woke it up..." Queen Elf muttered thoughtfully.

"Sphinx... Sara is descended from Sphinx..." Luka said in realization, as Sara's transformation was completed.

Her armor lie abandoned on the ground, her now bare body complete with bat-like wings, a Succubus' tail coming out of her back, and horns on her now purple-haired head, strange tatoos running down the left side of her body in heart-like patterns.

"Ah... What happened to me...? I feel so... Weird... Power is coursing through me... I feel so strong... But I feel so thirsty... I'm so... So hungry..." Sara whispered to herself, almost in a trance.

Then she started looking around, until her gaze fell on me, her expression growing ravenous.

...What?

"Ah... It's Daniel... You look so... So delicious... I want to eat..." Sara kept speaking in a dazed voice.

"...Don't you mean Luka? That's usually how this sort of thing goes, you know? I got no magic in me?" I questioned in confusion.

"Hey... Daniel... I want to eat you so badly..." Sara insisted.

"...Well, shit. Luka, take care of the Queen Elf. I'll hold her back until you come back, maybe your sword can reverse this." I requested, assuming a fighting stance.

"Are you sure...? Alright. Come with me!" Luka said, as he picked up the weakened monster.

"Why are you protecting me...? I'm a monster, an enemy to humans..." Queen Elf asked in confusion.

"I believe a time will come when humans and monsters understand each other, and live in peace. That's why I'll always fight to protect humans and monsters both!" Luka declared, as he quickly started to move away from me and Sara, carrying the Queen Elf in his arms.

"Aha... Daniel... Are you going to fight me? That's good... I... I want to mess you up... I... I want to embrace you... make love to you... Become one with you... My body is aching so much... I want you so bad, Daniel..." Sara drawled seductively, a blush on her face, drool coming out of her mouth.

"...Don't worry, Sara... I won't let you betray her. I promise." I declared, as she charged towards me.

"I'll wrap it in my breasts..." Sara drawled, as she tried to press her chest on my crotch.

Immediately, I grabbed her by the horns, trying to force her into the ground with my weight.

She easily lifted my whole body upwards, and tried to grab my arms instead.

I barely managed to kick her midsection to make some distance, but Sara immediately used her new wings to regain har balance, as she ascended to the sky.

...Oh, that's bullshit, I had to actually train to learn how to fly!

"I want it too... Lick me, Daniel..." Sara requested in a sultry voice, as she dove towards me with incredible speed.

I couldn't get out of her way in time, and I was pushed to the ground, Sara sitting on my neck.

"Ah... I pushed my secret place right into Daniel's face... Hey, how do I smell...? This is the first time I've sat on a man like this... Hehe." Sara laughed, as she tried to force her pussy over my mouth.

I thankfully had already deactivated my sense of smell (though her warmth was still enough to cause a reaction in my lower half, to my dismay), and barely managed to hold her back by grabbing the base of her new tail and pulling her backwards.

She still slowly advanced, her strength surpassing my own.

Then I used my other hand to grab one of her arms and put her off-balance, before punching her away and regaining my footing.

"Ouch! You're so rough, Daniel..." Sara licked her lips with a smile on her face, before finally, I felt Luka's presence returning.

"Daniel! Are you okay!?" he yelled out, as he joined the fight.

"I'm alright! Now, let's bring Sara back!" I replied, as we both prepared to charge forward together.

"Ah, Luka is here too... Hey, Daniel do you mind if we include him too? I'm really just SO hungry... No, wait..." Sara commented looking at Luka, before blinking in confusion a couple times, looking like she was trying hard to remember something.

"...! Luka, wait!" I immediately yelled, putting an arm in front of Luka to stop him from advancing.

"...Luka already has that silver-haired woman... And I... Granberia... Guh!" Sara grimaced, as she held her newly-horned head in her hands, as if she was having a terrible headache.

Me and Luka just stood still, waiting to see what would happen next.

Finally, Sara raised her head to look at Luka again, focusing on his sword.

"...Granberia? Is that you?" she asked in surprise.

...What?

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

"It IS you! I have been training for so long in order to meet you again! I'm so happy! I'll show you and Daniel both the result of my training!" Sara declared in an elated tone, as she quickly flew back to where her clothes and armor were, taking out her sword.

"Eeehhh!?" Luka yelped in surprise, as Sara charged us, blade in hand.

...What did it say about me that I felt better about a woman charging me with a sword instead of just sexually assaulting me?

God, my life was weird...

Luka parried the blow with little difficulty, though the weight behind it had been considerable.

Then he retaliated with a slash of his own, and Sara barely blocked it as well, but was unable to do the same for the next.

Overall, she HAD improved her skills substantially since the last time I had seen her, and her new and powerful phyisique also gave her an advantage.

But Luka was still just a better swordsman overall.

"I'm not Granberia! You're hallucinating, snap out of it!" Luka yelled, as he backed off in order to summon his spirits.

"Ah... My lovely Granberia... And of course, Daniel too... Come here..." Sara drawled, as she rapidly charged me as well.

I braced for a swing of her sword, but instead, she threw her arms around me, holding my waist in a warm embrace.

What?

"I want to suck out semen... I'll suck you as hard as I can, so get ready..." Sara drawled, as she tried to undo my belt buckle.

Thankfully, the mechanism to open it was complicated enough to gain me a couple seconds to struggle out of her hold, as Luka started gracefully slashing her with his blade, his body infused with the power of Undine.

However, the belt itself still remained in Sara's hands as she fought back against the onslaught with her own sword.

Unfortunately, my Enrikan pants had always been too large for me ever since I had lost all that weight...

And as they dropped to the ground, for a moment, Sara's attention was utterly and completely focused on my bulging crotch.

I had never felt more embarrassed in my life, as I stood there in a daze for a full second, feeling a breeze between my legs, a length of my manhood poking out of the white underwear.

Luka used the distraction to end the fight with a Serene Demon Sword, as I quickly covered myself with a scarlet face.

"Eh...? What am I doing...?" Sara questioned, as her wings, horns and tail faded into particles, her hair returning to its normal orange color.

"I... I did it..." Luka breathed hard in relief, before turning to face me.

"Not. A word..." I ground out, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"I was just going to ask you if you're alright..." Luka said timidly, even as he handed Sara her clothes.

"... Haah... I'm fine. Good job saving the princess, Hero." I sighed, as I put my belt buckle back in place.

Sara looked at me for a moment as we both redressed ourselves, and we both immediately avoided each other's gaze, blushing furiously.

"...We will never speak of this again, deal?" I proposed.

"...Deal." Sara agreed.

"...Alright... Now..." Luka trailed off, turning to the approaching Queen Elf.

"...I see. You're wielding your sword for monsters and humans to coexist in piece. That sincere feeling of yours... It certainly reached me. But... Does your human Goddess recognize it? Will Ilias ever allow monsters and humans to coexist?" Queen Elf questioned.

"W... Well..." Luka stammered awkwardly.

"It seems you yourself already realize that she won't. Even though you know that, you ignore that fact and continue on?" Queen Elf inquired.

"... Doesn't this mean you betrayed your Monster Lord as well? Would she ever allow you to hold a human hostage?" Luka pointed out after a long pause.

I inwardly sighed at his inner conflict's continued lack of resolution.

Hopefully that wouldn't be the case for much longer...

"That's... It seems we both are betraying our leaders. But... The Monster Lord doesn't understand our pain. That foolish way of pacifism only leads to hardship." Queen Elf countered.

"...I get it. You don't understand anything!" Luka yelled.

"What do you mean I don't understand?" Queen Elf asked back with narrowed eyes.

"You don't know anything about the Monster Lord! You're happy at being a victim, so you can excuse all of your actions and blame others for them! You're not even trying to understand either humans or the Monster Lord! You're just using them as an object to hate and blame your problems on!" Luka accused incensedly.

"Quiet!" Queen Elf yelled out, as she suddenly held a dagger to Sara's neck.

What!?

When did she...!?

Wait... I knew about this...

How could I have forgotten!?

"If you continue with your impudence, I'll end this girl's life!" Queen Elf declared in a hateful tone.

"C... Coward..." Luka stammered, unable to do a thing.

"We can't run anywhere else! Our only choice is to take back Sabasa!" Queen Elf desperately shouted.

"...Stop it already! The Monster Lord doesn't want you to do this!" Luka yelled back.

"If the Monster Lord is unable to understand our pain and sorrow... Then they don't deserve to be our leader!" Queen Elf declared, as the earth started shaking, a familiar powerful presence appearing close to us.

"Again!? What is it this time!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Queen of Elves... Should I interprete that as a declaration of rebellion?" A voice I recognized inquired menacingly.

"Y... You..." Luka stammered, as the Heavenly Knight of fire entered the clearing.

"...No matter the reason, I won't allow anyone to rebel against the Monster Lord." Granberia declared.

"G... Granberia!?" Luka called out in surprise.

"It can't be... A Heavenly Knight..." Queen Elf stammered fearfully, instinctively dropping the knife and backing away from Sara.

Sara herself stared at her love with an awed expression.

"Granberia, why are you here!?" Luka inquired to the Dragon-kin.

"...Just a coincindece, Luka... I did not come here for you... I heard that the Queen Elf and Fairy were meeting together, so I came to take a look..." Granberia slowly explained, avoiding my gaze with the slightest blush on her face.

...What?

"What disgraceful behavior... Taking a human female hostage. And now that I've heard of your intent to rebel, I can't stay silent any longer." the Dragon-kin proclaimed, turning back to face the Queen Elf with a serious face.

"N... No! I was just..." Queen Elf tried.

"Silence... Prepare yourself!" Granberia shouted, as she took out her sword and swung towards the Queen Elf.

"...Stop!" Sara yelled, trying to move between the woman she loved and her captor.

Even as Sara moved to get in the way herself, however, I rapidly blurred forward in front of her, interposing myself into the blow's trajectory, before using my reinforced gauntlets to take the heavy blow.

I felt the bones in my arms creak ominously at the impact, but held my ground, unmoving, even as the metal of the gauntlets was bent out of shape by the powerful force.

"...What!?" Granberia exclaimed, taken aback by my sudden appearance.

"Haah... Chill out. She's already lost to Luka and me. She's no threat to anyone in her current state." I calmly explained, as I removed my destroyed armguards with a sigh.

I had liked those things... They looked so cool...

Though I supposed there was little point wearing them by that point, since my bones were apparently tougher than them now...

"...!" Granberia's eyes just about bulged out of her head, as she stared at me with an absolutely gobsmacked expression.

"...What? Luka did all the work. Only reason she isn't sealed is that he stopped slashing." I said uncomfortably, pointing to my friend at my side with my right thumb.

Granberia just kept looking at me in complete befuddlement, utterly unmoving.

...What was wrong with her?

"Ahem... Besides, you're both subjects of the Monster Lord, right? The Monster Lord doesn't want her subordinates killing each other... I think..." Sara interjected in an awkward tone.

Finally, Granberia snapped out of her reverie, turning to face the princess.

"Cough... That is true. This surely would make the Monster Lord depressed. It seems I was a little too quick to resort to force." Granberia acknowledged, regaining her composure as she turned to face the Queen Elf, though her inner energy was scrambled lke crazy.

That was worrisome.

Was she alright?

I really hoped she wasn't sick or anything, we needed her to be healthy for the invasion, we couldn't afford to lose her...

"Queen of the Elves that was saved by humans... Let me make sure of this. Are you planning on rebelling against the Monster Lord?" Granberia inquired as menacingly as she could, though I still felt her inner turmoil.

"...I never had intentions of treason against her. I was just despairing over her inability to understand our pain... That's all." Queen Elf declared.

"Understood... Then I acknowledge you weren't planning to commit treason. But I'll say this... The Monster Lord understands your pain well. And she is working to alleviate that pain." Granberia concluded.

Queen Elf was silent at that.

"It's us humans who didn't understand your pain... But we never intended to abuse you. I'm sure my father feels the same way... If you would just sit down and talk with us, I'm sure we can reach a solution... I'll help in any way I can." Sara assured.

"...That's right. Humans make mistakes, but they aren't stupid as you seem to believe." Luka agreed.

"For the most part at least..." I wryly added.

"If both sides put away their weapons and talk, something can be achieved. But first, you must be willing to understand humans... I'll work on getting to understand monsters better." Luka declared.

The Queen Elf fell silent for a few seconds.

I could feel Granberia and Sara stealing glances at me, and in Sara's case also at Granberia herself.

"...I'm still not agreeing to everything. But if you're all going so far... It may be worth waiting a little while longer. And if the Monster Lord really hasn't abandoned us... Then we shall believe it will work." Queen Elf finally proclaimed.

"Thank you for believing in us..." Luka said sincerely.

"...I don't know about the future, but we shall wait for now. Neither Fairies or Elves will attack humans. I was saved from death by that man and this human princess. I cannot repay that favor by harming other humans." Queen Elf declared.

"Then please watch and wait... We won't disappoint you." Luka assured.

"Yes, I'll help too. I'm sure the people of Sabasa will understand too!" Sara agreed.

"I will believe... And wait. For the day when humans accept us, and we can live together in Sabasa. Until that day comes, I shall attempt to understand humans better." Queen Elf concluded.

"A word of advice... Personally, I think you're making that sound way harder than it actually is. Of course, monsters and humans have different physical characteristics and cultures, but that also applies between monsters and other monsters, and humans and other humans. There's really no marked difference in difficulty between understanding either a monster or a human better. At most, you may have a harder time doing so with a particular individual, but deep down the basic parts we are made of are mostly the same. We all have our wants and needs, we all are capable of joy and sorrow. It's pointless to look at humans like something alien." I interjected in a casual tone.

I did believe in my own words, as I had experienced that truth for myself.

Though it was ironic for me of all people to actually say them out loud, as a literal dimensional alien...

Queen Elf looked at me with a surprised expression, before closing her eyes in thought.

Again, I could feel everyone else's gaze on me, Granberia's energy in disarray.

I was really starting to be worried for her...

"...Granberia, I wish to make a report. The rumored 'Black Alice' appeared before both the Queen Fairy and I a short while ago. As fellow human haters, we were invited to their group... But we declined. There was an extremely sinister atmosphere around that one that made us hesitate." Queen Elf finally spoke, facing the Dragon-kin.

"...I see... So 'Black Alice' appeared before you two..." Granberia trailed off thoughtfully, finally taking her eyes off of me, though her energy was still in turmoil.

Luka just looked confusedly back and forth between the two of them, as I suppressed a shiver at the thought of what was probably the second most dangerous being in this world, and possibly the number one in brutality.

After finishing her report, The Queen Elf turned back towards Sara, Luka and me.

"...I've troubled you quite a lot. I'd love to meet the three of you again, when humans and monsters are living in peace." Queen Elf gently spoke, before dismissing herself, vanishing through a magical portal of her own making.

"Sheesh, so that settles this matter... But there have been far too many rebels lately. To make matters worse, that strange 'Black Alice' is doing things behind the scenes..." Granberia muttered thoughtfully, her eyes closed.

"Who is this 'Black Alice' you two keep mentioning?" Luka questioned.

"...As you know, Alipheese is taking steps towards achieving peace with humans. But there are many monsters who are unhappy with that stance. There's a rumor that one in particular is calling out to the others, gathering allies. That girl seems to be called 'Black Alice'. I don't know what kind of monster she is, but she must be incredibly arrogant. Only the Monster Lord is able to assume the name 'Alice'." Granberia explained.

"So there's a monster doing that...?" Luka spoke in a pensive tone.

"...More importantly, are you feeling alright? You look a bit uncomfortable... Do you have a fever?" I asked Granberia in a concerned voice, trying to feel her temperature from her forehead with my hand.

Immediately, Granberia let out a disturbingly cute yelp, quickly taking a step back from me.

"I am fine! There's no problem with my body!" she declared, even as her face took a scarlet hue.

"Are you sure? Your face is all red... You shouldn't push yourself, you know?" I insisted.

"I said I am fine!" Granberia yelled even louder.

"...Alright... Sorry..." I apologised, realizing I had probably overstepped my boundaries.

I should have known better, really...

She was far stronger than I was, even without considering the actual difference in power between us.

"...Rather than that, are your arms alright? I wasn't able to stop the swing in time..." Granberia questioned in a regretful voice, looking away from me.

"It's fine, the gauntlets did their job... Plus, you were holding back anyway." I shrugged.

I could tell that, indeed, she hadn't swung to kill since I was still alive.

She likely had just wanted to knock Queen Elf out and take her in...

She was far too honorable to kill an unresisting opponent.

An awkward silence descended on all of us for a few seconds, as Sara looked at Granberia with a strange expression.

"...Oh, that's right... I forgot to thank you... Thank you, Granberia. You really helped us out there." Luka said gratefully.

"...Hmph... I had no intention of helping you. I just couldn't stand to see a monster taking a human hostage. But... Perhaps I did meddle a little too much." Granberia acknowledged.

"Granberia... You've changed." Luka spoke out.

"I changed? I should say the same to you, Luka." Granberia replied.

"Eh... Me?" Luka asked in surprise.

"Before, you barely knew anything about the sword, much less the world. But you're different now... Perhaps it's everything you have seen along your journey?" Granberia smiled.

"Yeah, you've come a long way, for sure... I still remember when you literally fell dick-first into that Leech Girl's mouth. Don't think even SHE ever expected that..." I teased.

Immediately, Luka blushed furiously and started sputtering nonsense like usual.

"...But most of all, I still wish to cross swords with you. Not as monster and human, but as fellow warriors. Both giving it everything we have... I'll be waiting for you in the Monster Lord's castle!" Granberia declared.

"...Yes, I'll be there soon!" Luka proclaimed, as he regained his composure.

Granberia then created a portal to the Monster Lord's castle once more.

A moment before stepping through it, however, her gaze fell on my face again, our eyes meeting.

Then she blushed and looked away sheepishly, finally entering the wormhole.

Eh?

As the portal started closing behind her, suddenly Sara moved.

"Wait, Granberia!" she yelled, as she jumped through the hole in space as well, grabbing hold of the Dragon-kin.

"What the...?" Granberia exclaimed in confusion, as the portal finally vanished, leaving only Luka and me alone in the clearing.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, as we both processed the events that had just happened.

"...Welp. That happened... I guess Sara's gonna spend some time with the one she loves, huh?" I spoke out in a wry tone.

"...Yeah... Wait, this isn't good! I... I came here to rescue her from being kidnapped, didn't I!?" Luka agreed, before pointing out the issue.

"Eh, you sort of did that? It's not like she's in any danger anymore... If anything I'd like to see who would dare to try and harm her, as long as she's with Granberia of all people... Though I agree that explaining this to the king might get a bit awkward..." I cringed.

"A bit!? ...Forget it, let's just go..." Luka sighed in exasperation, before we started walking back towards our ship.

~– ~ – ~

We quckly sailed back to Sabasa, the Captain thankfully not questioning us and just following our instructions.

"So... Our persuasion worked, and the monsters stopped. The Elves and Fairies won't attack humans for a while." Luka explained to the King, as we stood inside the throne room again.

"Hmm... We drove them into a corner like that...? Taking hostages is unforgivable... But we'll have to keep that in mind... And Sara? I do not see her... Where is she?" The King questioned.

"That's... Well... Actually... After Granberia helped us, Sara jumped after her..." Luka awkwardly answered.

"Wh... What!? She jumped after her on her own, and wasn't kidnapped!?" The King asked incredulously.

"Yes, she chased after her of her own free will..." Luka confirmed.

"On her own... Eh..." the King muttered, as he sat down on his throne.

"...I can't say this surprises me. Sara seemed to be obsessed with Granberia. She probably admired her as a fencer... She always acted on whatever fleeting thought came into her mind... But to think she would chase after a monster..." he continued, letting out a resigned sigh.

I guessed Sara hadn't gotten around to telling him just yet, huh...?

"I've heard that Granberia is a noble monster who wouldn't harm the weak. You've met her before, haven't you? Is that true?" the King inquired.

"...Yes. Granberia wouldn't harm Sara." Luka assured.

I wordlessly nodded my head, agreeing with his words as well.

"Hmm..." the King hummed thoughtfully, glancing at me for a moment.

"I'm going to the Monster Lord's castle soon. I'll persuade her to come back." Luka offered.

"...Don't bring her back forcibly. Let my daughter do as she pleases." The King requested.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in surprise.

"I cannot force her to ascend to the position of Queen. My daughter's future is hers to decide." the King declared.

"...Are you sure?" Luka asked for confirmation.

"I always knew that girl would run away from this castle at some point. Though it's far earlier than I thought, and much farther away..." the King trailed off thoughtfully, before getting up and approaching me.

"...May I have a word again?" he requested in a serious voice.

"Of course." I agreed, before being led to a different room again.

~– ~ – ~

After closing the door behind us, the King sighed deeply.

"One moment, please. I need to put something on paper." the King politely pleaded, as he took out the necessary writing supplies out of his desk.

"Take your time." I simply replied.

After a few minutes, the King was done.

"There. Sorry for the wait. I wish to ask you a favor once again. Would you mind delivering this letter to my daughter at the Monster Lord's castle?" the King requested, handing to me the sealed message.

"...? I don't mind, but why did you not include Luka for this as well? He's the one I'm following around, you know?" I questioned in confusion.

"Perhaps so. But Hero Luka is someone I can request the aid of as a King. This is a personal favor. I cannot burden him with such trivial things." the King explained.

"I see... Very well. I'll give it to her as soon as I can." I declared, taking the letter and putting it in my backpack.

"Thank you kindly... Now, I have one question for you..." the King trailed off.

"Yes?" I said, turning to face him.

"What is your type?" the King inquired.

"...What?" I blinked in utter confusion.

"Do you have any preference in potential partners?" the King insisted, completely straight-faced.

"I... Don't know...?" I automatically answered, starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Have you never had a relationship before?" the King questioned.

"Uuh... No... I just..." I stammered.

"I see... Back when I met Sara's mother, I had never before thought about such things either... Had she lived through her illness, she would have been a perfect Queen... A much better ruler than the old war dog I am..." the King spoke in a longing voice.

"...I'm sorry for your loss." I simply said, offering my condolences.

"Thank you... Well then, let us return." the King concluded, as we left the room, heading back to the throne room.

Soon after that, me and Luka finally left the castle, moving into the town surrounding it.

~– ~ – ~

"It looks like you're done talking with him..." Alice commented, as we reunited with her in Sabasa's marketplace.

"Yes... Sara's still gone, too." Luka confirmed.

"Hey there, Alice! It's been a while. Luka was beginning to get worried for you, you know? He'd be sad like a lost puppy if you didn't come back." I quipped.

Luka glared at me in annoyance, before turning back to face Alice.

"...Alice, did you meet with the Queen Elf?" he questioned.

"...If I had met them, what could I say? At the moment, I can't help them. I understand the hardships the Elves and Fairies are going through, though. But if they take back over the human lands, it will just start a whole new slew of struggles and pain. There won't truly be a solution until the general relations between humans and monsters shifts. But if I think that, I can't help but allow them to continue to suffer their current hardships..." Alice spoke in a regretful voice.

"I see... You've been thinking about this from a variety of viewpoints..." Luka commented.

"For their sake, I have to make my ideal a reality. I'll even lend a hand to you to make it come true." Alice declared.

I closed my eyes in a sympathetic expression, even as I barely restrained myself from saying something.

Just a little more...

"Uwaa... Alice, you've never talked like this before... Of course I'd love for you to help me more. Ehehe. Hahahahaha!" Luka started laughing happily in a childlike manner.

"Sh... Shut up!" Alice yelled back in embarrassment, as I softly smiled at their usual antics.

I could only hope they would continue ever after, even if I may not be there to see them.

The end of the second chapter was steadily getting closer.

And with it would come the time for me to reveal my true cowardice...

That is, if I even managed to survive long enough to do that, as a Goddess and her armies invaded the whole planet I was standing on, leaving nowhere for me to hide.


	46. Chapter 45: Dreams and memories

After leaving Sabasa behind us once again, we immediately headed towards the Holy Wings' Shrine, having gathered all the necessary artifacts to awaken the Garuda Girl from its sleep.

A few more days of walking later, we finally came upon a small altar in the middle of a forest.

~– ~ – ~

"We just walked right in... I kind of expected a bunch of guards, maybe a couple watchtowers or something. At least an actual egg." Luka commented, overlooking the empty shrine.

"Nonono... There aren't any guards, but there should be an egg! Where did it go!?" Alice exclaimed, frantically searching around the altar.

"Don't tell me it already hatched..." Luka pondered worriedly.

"No, that can't be. It will never hatch until it has all six orbs..." Alice declared.

"Then where... Hmm? Hey, who's there!?" Luka suddenly called out, looking at a bush.

"Ah!? Oh, humans... I thought you three were monsters for a second." an unfamiliar man said, wiping some sweat from his forehead as he revealed himself.

Alice had already assumed her human form, the man still unaware of her true nature.

"Err... Why are you here?" Luka questioned.

"I'm a member of Ilias Kreuz. Don't be surprised, but I'm Lupton, the man who has sliced apart hundreds of monsters!" the man proudly declared.

In the next instant, Luka dashed forward, grabbing the man by his neck and lifting him in the air, forcing his back against a tree.

"Gaah! Wh... What are you doing!?" The man yelled fearfully, as the large tree starts to creak and bend, as Luka used the power of Gnome to push the man's body against it.

"...Stop it, Luka! Are you trying to kill him!?" Alice loudly questioned.

"S... Sto... He... Elp..." the man wheezed.

"...Really?" Luka asked in a low growl.

"Urhg.. Wh... What...?" Lupton breathed.

"Have you really killed hundreds of monsters!?" Luka questioned menacingly.

"Th... That's... Lie... I... I can't kill monsters... Gahh... I'm just... A liar... Hel... Gah..." Lupton fearfully confessed.

Luka was silent for a few seconds, before finally releasing his grip on the man's neck, dropping him to the ground, as he started coughing and gasping for air.

"Haa... Haaa... I thought I was going to die... I didn't think that would happen from just a little bragging..." Lupton sighed in relief, before meeting Luka's steely gaze, instantly straightening up in response.

"...No, no... Forgive me, sir. Even though you're so young, you have some crazy strength..." he continued in a wry tone.

"...Why is a member of Ilias Kreuz here?" Luka questioned.

"Well... We're already done now it seems. Tch... I guess this is what I get for being late." Lupton replied.

"Late...? Did the other members gather here already for something?" Luka asked.

"A few days ago, we found this gigantic egg here. We figured it was a monster egg, so we decided to try to destroy it... But no matter how hard we smashed it, we couldn't even dent the thing. So we decided to carry it over to the headquarters. It's heavy, so a lot of us were coming here to help carry it." Lupton explained.

"I see... This isn't good... If they break the egg..." Luka spoke in a worried voice.

"Don't worry, that won't happen. Humans are unable to destroy the egg." Alice assured.

"Oh? That's reassuring." Luka sighed in relief.

"Th... Then, I guess I'll be going... I wish you good health... Heh..." Lupton said while slowly backing up, before speeding away as fast as he could.

"...Luka, are you going to head to the Ilias Kreuz headquarters?" Alice questioned.

"Of course. I have to get that egg back." Luka replied.

"...I feel nervous at you going there. How about I go in your place?" Alice offered.

"Ehh...? What do you think is going to happen? Don't worry, they're just little hooligans like that Lupton guy. They don't compare at all to the four Heavenly Knights or Poseidoness." Luka said in surprise.

"...You're not acting like you usually do, that's what makes me uneasy. If you go as you are now... I'm afraid you're going to kill them." Alice said in concern.

"...Don't worry. My father is my father. This isn't about him." Luka declared.

"If you say so..." Alice acquiesced, before turning to me, her sad expression turning to one of surprise.

"...Daniel, you haven't said anything in a while... Are you feeling alright?" she inquired.

It took me a couple seconds before I finally realized she was addressing me.

"...Huh? ...Wh... What...?" I stammered in a confused voice, as I snapped out of my reverie.

My thoughts felt clouded, like I was watching the world from a great distance.

"Wait a second... I noticed you spacing out a lot more lately, but did you actually miss that entire conversation!? I did think it was strange for you not to intervene, but you really didn't notice anything!?" Alice asked in disbelief.

"I... I don't..." I stammered, trying to clear my head a little.

Wait...

Had Luka just threatened a man and almost killed him?

And I hadn't even taken notice!?

Something wasn't right.

But I just couldn't focus...

"...! Daniel, Are you ok!?" Luka questioned in sudden concern.

I took a moment to assess my own body's condition.

Overall, I felt fine, nothing was hurting, and I didn't feel tired at all, but my mind just felt... Distant, somehow.

"I... Think so...? My body is fine, I just feel... Like everything's fuzzy, somehow..." I replied, fighting through the haze to form the words.

"...Have you been sleeping alright lately? You mentioned you had some trouble with insomnia before..." Alice inquired thoughtfully.

"...Actually, I don't really need to sleep anymore. I think I may be nocturnal now...? It's probably another age threshold thing, like when my beard stopped growing..." I denied.

"...What? What the hell are you talking about?" Alice questioned in confusion.

"Yeah, I haven't slept once since that night in Succubus Village... I didn't want to bother you guys, so I always left camp during the night... I've been using the night as extra training time ever since." I explained.

Alice just stared at me with a confused expression for a moment, before her eyes widened.

"...! You mean to tell me that you haven't slept for almost an entire month...!? What the hell were you thinking!? Even I have to let my mind rest every day! It doesn't matter how much stamina your body has, your mind still needs its rest! It's a miracle you're even standing right now! You should be in a coma already! How could you even not know something so basic!? Why did you think I still slumbered every single day, despite me being physically more than capable of forgoing sleep entirely!?" she shrieked loudly.

"...I may have thought you were just being lazy...? Though, in retrospect, that does make more sense... Ooops?" I wryly confessed.

Alice just kept staring at me with an apoplectic expression, trembling in barely restrained fury.

Luka just looked at me with a mixture of awe and concern, before shaking his head and immediately starting to set up camp close to the shrine.

"...What are you doing? It's still the middle of the day..." I asked in confusion.

"Shut up! You need to lie down and sleep right now!" Alice yelled at me.

"Eh? But..." I tried.

"No buts! If you don't go to sleep right now, I'll make you!" Alice threatened, raising a fist in the air menacingly, her aura surging.

"Alright, alright! Chill out, no need to knock me around like Luka, I'll just lie down and sleep, alright!?" I fearfully acquiesced.

"You'd better! I can't believe you... Did your mother never tell you how important it is to rest your mind properly, even for monsters?" Alice questioned, making me wince at the sudden pang of homesickness.

"...It never really came up. I just assumed it was normal to just sleep when your body is tired... I thought the brain was simply a part of that..." I confessed.

"The brain has nothing to do with it, you idiot! Our souls need to recharge after a day's work. It doesn't matter if our bodies and brains have the stamina to keep going, our souls have a different limit too. And if we go past it, they start desynchronizing with our physical bodies. First your reflexes slow down, then you start spacing out more and more, until finally the bond between body and soul is strained so much that we automatically cause our brains to forcibly shut down in order to restore it. Only, there's no telling how long that could take, or if it would even be successful. Many people in the past have never woken up after pushing themselves too far... Now do you understand why what you did was so stupid?" Alice asked, her tone calmer now.

"...I'm sorry. I had no idea..." I started.

"Just shut up and go to sleep." Alice ordered, as she forcefully shoved me into the tent Luka had set up for me, closing it behind me.

I don't remember what my last thought was, as I lied down and finally let my consciousness fade...

~– ~ – ~

I wake up as usual, my slumber interrupted by the ringing phone on my bedside table.

I let it ring twice, before I actually raise my arm and take the handset to my ear.

"Come down. It's midday. We're having pasta, how do you want it?" I hear my mother's voice say.

"Tomato sauce." is my only answer, my tone still containing traces of sleepiness.

"Right. Come down." my mother concludes, before a long beep signals the end of the call.

I put the handset down in its place, then I slowly get up from my bed, and head to the bathroom to wash my face.

Before I go downstairs to eat, I quickly boot up my PC and check for any updates on the many stories I'm following.

There's the usual daily wuxia novel chapter, a couple webcomic updates, and even one of the rarer fanfiction ones.

I barely have the time to get halfway through the first before I hear my mother calling for me again.

"Coming!" I yell back, as I unplug my cellphone from its charger, before I finally head downstairs.

"...Hey." I simply say, as I am greeted by the sight of the rest of my family already sitting at the table, except for my mother who is still draining the pasta on the sink.

I happily pet my two dogs' heads, as they jump up to nip at my hands in their usual playful manner.

They're just so cute... Little ankle-biters.

"...Still waking up halfway through the day? I have a job for you this afternoon." my dad speaks out, as he turns to face me.

"What's the job?" I simply ask.

"It's easy. You just need to rivet a few hundred springs. You've done this before. I'll give you 10 by the hour." Dad answers.

"You know I don't care about the money. Though you COULD have told me a day earlier, you know? I don't have much to do today, but some forewarning would have been nice..." I shrugged.

"When I was your age, I was already working, AND studying all day, morning included. When there's a job to do, it takes priority." my father deadpans.

"...Look, can you just let me eat in peace? I've done nothing wrong, and I'm going to be working all afternoon, I just want to relax before that..." I plead.

"Ugh, I already have a headache, can you two stop bitching already!?" My little sister loudly complains.

Finally, silence reigns, as we all start to consume our meal quietly.

A conversation starts about the television news currently playing on the screen.

I am not included in it, as I don't have any interest at all in politicians continuously making a mess of my country, or hearing about the latest heinous murder-suicide some jackal-journalists got their fangs on.

As soon as I am done eating, I head to my room in order to get back to my stories.

"Remember to open your window and let in some sunlight! I told you it's not healthy to stay holed up in there all day!" my mother nagged, even as I ascended the stairs.

I just sigh, and do as she asks, tuning out the rest of her usual tirade, knowing by heart what she would say next thanks to years of repetition.

'You need to think about your future, what you want to do with your life, bla bla bla...'

It's not like I don't appreciate her concern, really, but she just never stops talking...

It's not like me being a failure of a human being is anything new, there's no need to remind me every single day.

I start listening to some random music, as I finish reading up the newly-updated chapters, and proceed to look for new stories instead.

I keep greedily taking in word after word, until I hear my room's phone ring again, and proceed to head downstairs in order to get ready for work.

"Why didn't you answer the phone? I was going to ask you to take down the laundry from the washing machine with you." my mother complains, as she puts down the handset, the ringing sound echoing throughout the house coming from my room ceasing immediately.

"How was I supposed to know? I just wanted to get ready faster. I'll go up and get it." I sighed in annoyance, already turning back.

"No need. Just get changed." my mother declares, before proceeding to step around me entirely without even looking at me.

I don't bother commenting on how I had already offered to take care of it, as I know nothing good would come of it.

She never would change, no matter how unhappy she was with herself...

And, of course, that went for me as well.

As I move to open the bathroom door in order to prepare to head out, I notice it's closed, and I hear my little sister's voice from the other side.

"It's occupied." she simply says with an annoyed voice.

"You going to take long in there? I need to change." I inquire.

"just five minutes." she answers, and I already know she's going to take at least fifteen, if not more...

"Can you just pass me my brush so that I can get ready upstairs?" I request.

"No. Just give me five minutes." she denies.

I don't bother arguing further, opting to simply take my clothes and forgo brushing my hair entirely.

It's not like I have any co-workers, no one's gonna be there to complain about how I look...

After I'm finally ready, my mother catches me with my hair still unbrushed, and immediately starts badgering me about it.

"You can't go out with hair like that, I forbid it!" she yells, as I take the car keys from their spot.

"Nobody's even going to see me, mom, I'm going to be stuck working in a room alone all day." I argue.

"I don't care! No son of mine is going out in such a disheveled state!" she declares.

I just take my head in my hands and groan at her loud voice, already feeling the coming headache.

"Ah, Daniel, there's no need for you to come. Your sister's going to take care of the job today. You will need to come tomorrow. Today you need to walk the dogs." My dad informs me, as he sips his coffee.

"What? Why?" I ask in confusion.

"She said she's going to her boyfriend's place tomorrow, so she can't work." he explained.

"Why didn't you ask her about it earlier?" I questioned.

"What do you have to complain about? You get to do nothing all day, like usual." my dad scoffs.

I don't bother continuing the conversation after that, as I simply drop the car keys back in their usual spot.

Since I'm already dressed, I just decide to take the dogs on their stroll now, walking along my usual route through the cropland in front of our house.

Even as the two puppers have their fun frolicking in the fields, I use my phone to keep reading my stories and listen to some music.

As I reenter the house, my oldest sister catches me, and starts talking excitedly.

"Bro, have you seen the new trailer?" she asks in a giddy tone.

"Not yet. What's it about?" I question.

"You need to see it. Trust me. Here." she declares, as she uses her phone to show me the upcoming new Pokèmon game's trailer.

I remember how I used to be a huge fan of the franchise as well, though now that passion has waned along with pretty much all others.

I'm still happy to see my sister being so hyped about it though, and I appreciate her attempt to share her enthusiasm with me.

Though it does sting a little how she doesn't seem to take notice of my lack of interest.

It's probably for the best...

I don't want to ruin her happiness in any way.

As I finally start heading to my room, my mother stops me.

"Did you open your window? Did you walk the dogs?" she asks in an accusing tone.

"Where do you think I've been all this time? And yes, I did open my window." I confirm.

"Good. Have you dusted your room yet?" she continues.

"...You didn't tell me I had to do that." I reply in a deadpan tone.

"You have to do that every day! If dust starts to accumulate, dust mites start biting!" she yells.

"I told you, dust mites don't do that!" I counter.

"I've seen a documentary on TV about it! They said it's important to keep the house clean at all times!" she shouted even louder.

"Not everything you see on TV is real, mom. And my room IS clean, I dusted it yesterday, remember? Doing that every single day is just overkill..." I complain.

"Why do you always just refuse to do anything I tell you to!? You know I'm right, and that the reason I say it is because I want you to be healthy!" she shrieks, before I tune her out once again.

When she finally falls silent, I walk up the stairs, heading back to my room, and after a long sigh, I finally get back to reading my stories.

Nobody says anything, as I tell them I'm going out to get some ice cream a few hours later...

~– ~ – ~

I opened my eyes and quickly jumped up to a sitting position, blinking in confusion a couple times, before finally realizing where I was.

Outside, I could feel the presences of my two companions, both of them currently stirring awake as well, a small amount of sunlight filtering through the closed flaps of my tent.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of having had such a real dream, while actually living through something that should only have been possible inside of one.

I purposefully hadn't thought of my family for a while, and seeing them again, even if it was just an illusion...

It just felt like a punch to the gut.

The irony of it was, back when I was still around, I hated the way they treated me, always pointing out every little mistake and pushing me to do more and more annoying things every day.

Now I would have given almost anything to hear my mother nag at me again...

"Yaaawnn... Good morning, Alice." Luka greeted, as he stretched his back.

"I'm hungry. Make me some breakfast." Alice requested.

"Alright... Do you think Daniel is going to wake up soon? I'm worried about him..." Luka asked in concern, as he started cooking.

"Hmph. That idiot will have to rest for at least three more full days. I seriously doubt he's going to wake up before that. Reckless idiot..." Alice scoffed.

"We have to be careful not to let anything disturb him. But our supplies are almost gone... Do you think you could cast another barrier to protect him as we go to Gold Port and let him rest? You should be able to cast one that will last long enough for us to come back, right?" Luka proposed.

Yeah, nope.

No way I was going to let Luka face Lazarus alone, even if I could do nothing to actually help.

"Is that bacon?" I suddenly interjected, as I poked my head betwen theirs, looking hungrily at the delicious strips of meat sizzling on a pan along with eggs.

"Gah!" they both yelped in surprise, jumping backwards away from me.

"Hey, be careful with that!" I shouted, as I grabbed the pan Luka had sent flying and moved to catch every single falling ingredient with it, before putting it back on the fire.

"Seriously, what kind of monster would ever waste some perfectly good bacon!? No offence Alice, I meant the OTHER kind of monster." I quipped.

"Daniel! You're okay!" Luka called out in surprise.

"What are you talking about, you idiot!? There's no way he could recover that quickly! He should have been in a coma for almost a week!" Alice shouted in disbelief.

"Nah, I feel fine already. I'd just go stir-crazy if I slacked off for that long. I can always take a nap later if I need to, but there's no need to change our schedule for me any more than we already have." I denied, as I swiftly plated our breakfast, before passing my friends their portions and starting to attack my own ravenously.

Bacon...

"I...! You...! Argh, forget it!" Alice gave up, as she assaulted her own food as well.

Luka just ate in silence, sometimes glancing at me with a small smile.

After unmaking our camp, we finally departed towards our next destination: Ilias Kreuz's headquarters.

~– ~ – ~

"I have some business with Lazarus. Could I meet with him, please?" Luka politely requested to the two men standing guard in front of the old church acting as the terrorist group's base of operations.

"Who the hell are you!? Lazarus wouldn't meet with some pissant like you!" one of them sneered.

"Get the hell out of here!" the other ordered.

"...Marcellus' son Luka came to meet you. Tell that to Lazarus." Luka declared.

"Eh...? Marcellus'... son?" the first guard stammered in confusion.

"Oi, oi... That can't be..." the other voiced in disbelief, before the two of them looked at each other for a second.

"G... Got it... I'll tell that to the leader..." the first guard agreed.

"Wait here a moment." the other concluded, before they both ran into the building.

I just put my hand on Luka's shoulder as a small sign of support, unable to say anything.

I knew I had no right to interfere with his coming decision.

Not only because it was far too personal a matter for me to meddle...

But also because, unlike him, I was already a murderer.

I could hardly preach about killing being wrong, since my own hands were stained with Cassandra's blood...

After a minute, the two guards came back.

"...Go in. It looks like Lazarus will meet with you." the first guard declared.

"Leader is in the underground hall. This way..." the second concluded, ushering us in, before they both guided us down to the church's basement.

~– ~ – ~

"The egg..." Luka muttered, as we entered a large hall with a huge egg in the middle of it.

Standing next to the large object, was a lone man in filthy clothes, his left arm limp at his side.

"Hah... So it's you again. By the way, do you know how to break these eggs? I can't put a damn crack in it..." Lazarus sneered, slapping the egg with his good hand.

"...You knew I was Marcellus' son?" Luka questioned, referencing their previous encounter in Sabasa.

"How the hell could I not notice? We were friends for years. I've been with him since we were running around in fields waving sticks, fighting imaginary monsters. You look just like he did as a kid." Lazarus spoke in a melancoholic voice.

Luka was silent.

"I see you've also brought a friend. Maybe it was the same guy who stole my bag back in Sabasa?" Lazarus continued, looking at me with a smirk.

Both me and Luka just kept our mouths shut, and I had already closed my eyes in order to brace myself for the oncoming guilt...

"...Anyway, why did you come here? Revenge for your fath... For Marcellus?" Lazarus questioned.

"Revenge...? For my father...? What do you mean?" Luka asked in confusion.

"What...? You don't know? Damn, I thought you came for revenge for sure." Lazarus commented in surprise.

"...What do you mean? My father was killed by a monster..." Luka trailed off in an uncaring voice.

"Yeah, that's the official story. Hah... Even his own damn son believed it... You're just as stupid as your father was." Lazarus mocked, though his expression was solemn.

"What are you talking about...?" Luka inquired.

I knew the truth already.

I knew that it had been an accident.

But I still had to try hard to remind myself of that fact when I heard Lazarus' reply.

"...I killed your father." Lazarus declared with a smile on his face.

"Wh... What...?" Luka staggered on his feet, yet unable to process the words, but already starting to tremble.

I kept my eyes closed, gripping my own forearm tight.

"...Oi, oi, don't look at me like that. I was just upholding the rules of our organization. When the leader becomes a criminal, it falls to the second in command to discipline him. I killed him once he let his guard down, then disguised it as a monster attack. Even in our organization, only a couple know the truth." Lazarus explained.

"W... Why... Why would you...?" Luka stammered in utter dismay.

I just gritted my teeth, breathing deeply.

"Marcellus betrayed us, even though he was our leader. He abandoned our ideal of eradicating the monsters, and started working in secret to protect them. So I purged him from us! I stabbed him from behind, then covered it up so the others wouldn't lose their morale!" Lazarus shouted angrily.

"My father... Trying to protect them...?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Before we would attack them, he would sneak out and warn them. Leaking out information, warning them... He betrayed us behind the scenes wherever he could. In the end, he even let them all peacefully out of here... Your father went crazy!" Lazarus yelled.

"No...! My father hated monsters!" Luka denied, unable to accept reality.

"Yeah, I thought the same! After what happened at the Monster Lord's castle, our resolve should have been even deeper... We should have become demons that only lived for revenge!" Lazarus continued even louder, as he pounded his fist against the egg.

However, his good hand wasn't shaking half as hard as both of Luka's.

"Father... Why would he protect the monsters...?" Luka questioned in a dazed voice.

"How the hell would I know... He hated them with me at first, when we founded this organization. How much have you heard about our quest to kill the Monster Lord?" Lazarus asked back.

"I haven't heard much... Didn't you fail before you ever reached the castle?" Luka replied.

I steeled myself for another oncoming blow.

"Marcellus was the Hero, I was the soldier... Whe had a priest and a wizard, too. Filled with fancy dreams of world peace, we formed a party and went off to destroy the Monster Lord. Then... We made it all the way there, and killed her. A lot happened, but... We really did kill her." Lazarus proudly declared.

"No... It can't be..." Luka voiced in disbelief.

"Then... The moment we killed the Monster Lord, the next one was born. We weren't even going to fight her, and she blew us to pieces! Before we knew what the hell was going on, we were bloody. Marcellus and I were on the verge of death after a few moments... I still can't move my left arm. Old man Merlin's head was cut off in the first attack... Pretty little Karen... She was torn in half... I loved Karen... Marcellus did too... But that damn monster tore her to pieces right in front of us! Af if her body was just paper!" Lazarus shouted desperately.

"Th... That..." Luka stammered.

I just bit the inside of my mouth until I tasted iron.

"...After that, Marcellus and I became demons. Revenge incarnate, we held nothing but hatred for monsters. After managing to escape with our lives, we stopped fighting monsters head on. And after I lost the ability to move my left arm, I realized the difference in power... We'll get rid of the monsters using violence from behind the scenes... That's why we founded the terrorist organization Ilias Kreuz. Then... At some point, Marcellus changed. He started to try to protect and help the monsters we hated. I don't know when he started going crazy... I... I miss my former friend..." Lazarus sadly confessed.

"My father... Didn't go crazy!" Luka suddenly yelled, defending his parent for the first time.

"My friend went insane! How could he help the monsters...!? He joined the enemies of humans!" Lazarus shouted back.

"No, he isn't an enemy! He was working towards coexistence..." Luka started.

"That isn't possible! Humans and monsters will never stop fighting! Even if they act friendly, you can't ever get rid of that feeling... At any point, they could tear you to pieces like paper! I've seen it... I know how quick it can happen!" Lazarus interrupted.

For but a moment, I did consider the fact I could likely do that as well, to my extreme discomfort.

"Even if they're more powerful, coexistence is..." Luka tried again.

"Not possible! Humans can never live together with beings so much more powerful than them! You're strong, aren't you? That's why you can't understand anything about those weaker than you! Those monsters would just tear people to pieces if they felt like it! How the hell could you live every day with that fear hanging over you!?" Lazarus questioned.

He wasn't entirely wrong.

I had been scared of Alice myself at first, and even now I dreaded the thought of ever telling her the truth about me...

"If humans and monsters just understood each other..." Luka made another attempt.

"Your'e only saying that because you're strong! The more we 'come to understand' each other, the clearer that difference in power becomes! Your empty words are nothing but a stupid dream! You're ignoring the plight of the weak... Those that would have to live in fear every day of the strong monster nearby!" Lazarus accused.

"You're wrong! I..." Luka trailed off, unable to articulate a response.

"What's wrong? Eh, boy!?" Lazarus egged on, as Luka's expression scrunched up in frustration.

"...No, you're wrong. You're ignoring reality." Alice's voice suddenly interjected, as she appeared behind us.

"...The hell!? Who are you!?" Lazarus startled.

"Though it's true your line of thinking holds some merit. It's natural for humans to fear monsters, given the difference in power... But that doesn't have to be the only way." Alice continued.

"Alice..." Luka called out.

"Luka, Daniel and I have been to many villages and towns on the way here... In many of those places... Humans and monsters are getting along. There are many more humans accepting monsters than you seem to think. Or are you just choosing to ignore reality again?" Alice questioned.

"What was that, girl..." Lazarus trailed off, before his face suddenly contorted in fear and hatred.

"You... The Monster Lord! I'd never forget that face! You... You killed them! You didn't forget about Merlin and Karen, did you!?" he accused.

"No... I haven't forgotten them even for a moment. The feeling as my magical power killed two people... The feeling of stealing away two lives..." Alice spoke regreftully.

Luka and I both were silent.

"...'For coexistence'... She said. Right at the verge of death, that's what the previous Monster Lord said. 'She believed in us?' We thought. We were going to carry on her wish... Humans and monsters living in peace... Or so we thought. Then you ran in and killed Merlin and Karen!" Lazarus yells angrily.

Alice's cool facade faltered for a moment, before she steeled herself again, returning to her usual look.

"I can't deny the truth. But I believe in coexistence as my predecessor did." Alice declared.

"The hell was that!? How can the one who slaughtered my friends spew that crap!?" Lazarus shouted in rage and disbelief.

"Stop this! Stop it already!" Luka desperately yelled at Lazarus.

His pained tone was enough for me to feel as if I was stabbed in the chest, but I barely restrained myself from running.

I was not going to abandon my friend, damn me and my guilt.

"Lazarus... I know how you feel! But... Do you really hate monsters that much!? There are humans around the world who are living together peacefully right now... Do you deny that they exist? That what has already happened is impossible!?" Luka pointed out.

"Isn't it obvious? They'll realize it eventually, just as I did. That there's no way we could ever live in peace with them!" Lazarus declared.

"Humans and monsters are just different races! They have still been able to understand each other... I've seen them! With my own eyes!" Luka insisted.

"I already told you! That 'difference' is the problem that will forever keep us separate!" Lazarus proclaimed.

"It's true that our races are different... But is that reason enough to kill them!?" Luka questioned.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself before you get it!?" Lazarus asked back.

"So... It was worth killing my father over!?" Luka finally snapped.

"Yeah, that's right! Your father betrayed me! Merlin and Karen too... He pissed on their graves! So I killed him!" Lazarus confirmed.

"You!" Luka called out in a hateful voice, as his hand went to his iron sword.

I just stood there in silence taking deep breath after deep breath.

"...Revenge? Good, do it! Your old man's killer is right in front of you. But even if I'm dead... Your stupid ideal will still be impossible." Lazarus mocked.

"Does that mean your're prepared to die!? You're going to die while refusing to admit you're wrong!?" Luka asked.

"I'm willing to die for my beliefs! Better than to piss on the graves of those who died before me!" Lazarus declared.

"...You...!" Luka called out again, his hand trembling as it held the deadly blade's hilt.

"Come on, kill me! No matter what happens, my path won't channge! I'll hate monsters and keep on killing them! If you don't like it, then come on and kill me!" Lazarus goaded.

Trembling in fury, Luka's hand drew his sword, its tip pointed at Lazarus' chest.

However, even as moment after moment passed, he did not thrust, as I knew he would.

"...Stop." Alice finally spoke out, as she grabbed Luka's hand, still grasped tightly around the blade's hilt.

She gently pulled it back, bringing the tip away from the filthy man's heart.

"Alice..." Luka called out in a quivering voice.

"No more... Stop, Luka. There's no reason to dirty your hands on this man." Alice declared.

"Eh, what's wrong? Can't kill me!? Even if you don't kill me, I still won't accept your thinking! Even though we're both humans, we can't even understand each other. How the hell do you think you'll ever understand monsters!?" Lazarus yelled at Luka, before turning to Alice.

"How about you, Monster Lord? I killed your mother! Don't you hate me? Why don't you just tear them to pieces like you did to my friends!?" he provoked her.

"...I see you're looking for a place to die. But I won't let you become a martyr." Alice denied, as her energy surged, her eyes filling with power, as she glared at Lazarus.

"Gah... Wh... What...? What did you do!?" Lazarus yelled fearfully, as his body stiffened, slowly petrifying.

"I won't kill you... But I'll turn you to stone. You won't die, and I'll be able to turn you back whenever I want." Alice explained.

"Damn you!" is all Lazarus was able to say, as his body was fully turned into a grey statue.

I finally sighed in relief, as Luka started calming down, Alice still holding his hand.

"I'm sorry, Alice... I'm sorry, Daniel..." Luka apologised.

"You have nothing to apologise for." I immediately stated.

Indeed, it was me who had to answer for my cowardice.

During the whole conversation, I had been tempted several times to intervene, to let Luka know that it was only an accident, to let Lazarus himself know that he was not a demon...

However, I couldn't bring myself do it.

Lazarus would save the life of at least one person in the invasion if I left him to his fate.

Luka would grow closer to Alice, and stop her from following in her mother's footsteps.

Lazarus' life would the price for both of these things... And I was too much of a coward to try to change that.

Overall, if anything, I was the real demon...

Fitting, considering my true form's monstrous appearance.

"...Lazarus provoked you on purpose. I think he wanted you to kill him. After that failed, he tried to get me to kill him. Somewhere in his heart, he's wishing for his own death... Dying for his beliefs... He wants to be a martyr." Alice explained.

"He wants to die...?" Luka questioned in realization.

"I don't know if he knows it himself... Living must be too painful for him. He must be doubting his path now... But after murdering his friend for his beliefs, there's no way he can change his direction. Suddenly, the son of his closest friend that he murdered appears in front of him. He probably was unconsciously wishing to be killed by the son's own hand..." Alice trailed off thoughtfully.

Luka was silent, his expression pensive.

I just stoically stared at the living statue of the man I was going to indirectly murder.

"Talking about another's feelings... This is unlike me." Alice sighed, her expression turning wistful.

"You said you can turn him back, right?" Luka asked.

"Yes, if I feel like it." Alice confirmed.

"Then... Wait a little while. At least until I sort out some things in my heart..." Luka requested.

"...Don't worry. You're making the correct decision. Some men need to take a step back before they can face reality. Hopefully this experience will provide him with the perspective he needs..." I spoke in a solemn voice.

"Daniel..." Luka called out in a moved tone, before footsteps started resounding through the room, two human presences approaching from the stairs.

"Lazarus, about tomorrow's plan... Ah! The leader's turned to stone!?" the first guard we met at the entrance startled, overlooking Lazarus' statue.

"Wh... What happened!?" the other one panicked.

"Sorry, but Ilias Kreuz is disbanded as of today. With your leader like this, you can't commit any more acts of terrorism, can you?" Luka declared, even as he braced for a fight.

"M... Monsters are here for revenge! Run away!" the first guard yelled out.

"H... Help meeee!" the other shrieked, as they both ran as fast as they could up the stairs.

Luka's stance relaxed, as he let out a sigh of relief, before turning back to face the giant egg.

"Now that that situation has been cleared up... Shall we focus on reviving the Garuda again?" he proposed.

"Please tell me we don't have to carry this all the way back to the shrine..." I whined, slumping my shoulders.

"There's nothing special about the shrine location itself. We can hold the ceremony here." Alice assured.

"Then... Do I just hold up the Orbs...?" Luka guessed, as he started rummaging through his bag.

"...Wait, Luka. I think you should take a brief rest first." Alice declared.

"I'm fine... I don't need that..." Luka denied, even as he trembled still.

"Your face looks horrible. You're still in mental shock from what happened..." Alice countered, as she grabbed him by the arm, starting to drag him away.

"Oi, oi... I said I was fine..." Luka protested.

"Look at yourself in a mirror. The egg won't go anywhere, so just come on." Alice insisted.

"Besides, I rested for a full day yesterday. It's your turn now." I added.

"...Fine, I'll rest for a while." Luka finally acquiesced, as we left the now abandoned church.

~– ~ – ~

We finally stopped walking after reaching the top of a hill just outside of Gold Port.

The view was truly quite beautiful from there, as the ocean's surface shimmered in the late afternoon sun.

We all sat there in silence for a few minutes, as a fresh breeze placidly flowed by us.

"...I wonder if humans and monsters can ever really understand each other?" Luka suddenly spoke up.

"...What's wrong? That's a strange remark coming from you." Alice commented.

"Neither Lazarus or I could put aside our differences... It even got to the point where I was about to kill him. If fellow humans are able to get to that point, then humans and monsters... I followed my mother's last wish and became a Hero. Everyone in the village hated me, but I swallowed my feelings and became a hero. I believed in coexistence, and set out on this adventure... All based on just trying to atone for what my father did. I didn't even really know what the hell coexistence really meant. They were just empty words... I wasn't thinking seriously about anything. It's just like you said, Alice. I was deluding myself, and masking my true self... Now that mask is off..." Luka elaborated in a depressed tone.

"...No, your mask hasn't come off yet. Luka, you're a true Hero." Alice declared with certainty.

"Eh...?" Luka exclaimed in surprise.

"It's true that you're an idiot, naive, and you rush into things without thinking them through... You've made lots of mistakes swinging that sword of yours around, too... But why have you been doing all this until now? It hasn't been due to anger or despair like you're feeling right now. It hasn't been some 'mask' you wore over your true feelings. Those actions all came from your heart... Your true self." Alice concluded.

"That's..." Luka trailed off, unable to articulate a proper sentence.

"You never allowed anyone to terrorize someone else. Every time you came across someone acting cruel, you got angry and rushed in. You can't stand seeing weak people being bullied or persecuted... Because you were persecuted yourself for so long. That's your true self that has influenced everything you've done until now. I don't think there's anyone in the world with a more Hero-like motive than you." Alice proclaimed.

"Even so... If I had killed Lazarus..." Luka weakly protested.

"Hah! As if that could ever happen... No way you would ever go through with it. Lazarus chose the wrong person to try and taunt... You're different from him. He abandoned his ideals for revenge, even at the cost of his own life, while, even towards the man who has killed your father, you still chose mercy. Do you think that's something just anyone could do? Because I sure as fuck couldn't. No way in hell. Besides, what the hell is that crap about being unable to understand monsters? Alice is right there, you know?" I pointed out.

"...Even if you can't understand Lazarus... You and I understand each other. Or am I imagining things?" Alice smiled softly in agreement, as she sat down next to Luka.

"Alice..." Luka called out.

"Just because humans can't always reach each other, it doesn't mean it's impossible for humans to reach monsters. There will be humans who won't ever get along. There will be monsters who won't ever get along. It isn't a simple story with a sudden ending point. You have to continue to think about how it will start and continue on, slowly getting better." Alice continued.

"I see..." Luka acknowledged.

"I understand you, a human. But Lazarus, another human, can't. Then, how about monsters? The four Heavenly Knights and I know each other. But among the rest of us, there are many who don't understand me or my actions, just like Lazarus and you. It's just a difference in the way of thinking. But just because the races are different, it doesn't mean everything is different." Alice elaborated.

"Then... Is true understanding an illusion?" Luka questioned.

"I said as much in Grangold, didn't I? The important thing isn't completely comprehending each other, it's just to keep TRYING to understand even a little more. No need to go overboard and start lamenting over an unnecessary impossibility." I shrugged.

"I see... Yeah, that's right..."Luka trailed off in understanding.

Alice looked at me with a slightly grateful expression.

I just moved my gaze away from them both in embarrassment.

"But my father... I was trying to right his wrongs..." Luka continued in a thoughtful tone, before getting up from his spot with a resolute expression.

"...This isn't the time to be depressed. My father fought for the coexistence of humans and monsters!" Luka proudly declared, a wide smile on his face.

"...Whew, that's the Luka I know. You aren't suited to being sulky and depressed." Alice sighed in relief.

"Hehe, thanks... Hey, Alice..." Luka trailed off, unsure on what to say next.

Both Alice and I instantly understood what he wanted to ask, and she started talking on her own instead.

"Alipheese the 15th... My mother was looking for a solution for peace. She became more and more anxious as the strife and fighting got even worse. In the end, she decided to end the fighting with her own life. If she was defeated by a Hero... My mother thought that would finally end the fighting. Then, appearing before her was a Hero... That was your father, with Lazarus and their friends." Alice explained.

"My father made it to the Monster Lord's castle...?" Luka questioned in awe.

"At that time, my mother put me in a jail. It was a strong prison, augmented with sealing magic. As my mother was dying... It seems as though she told your father her intentions. With her sacrifice, she wanted peace. According to Lazarus, it seems like it shifted their hearts after learning why she did it... But... I broke down the seal holding me and rushed to my mother's side. It seems as though my mother miscalculated my magical power..." Alice trailed off, her tone neutral, but I could tell from her energy just how much pain she was in, reliving the worst moment of her life.

Luka just silently stood there, his gaze filled with pity.

"When I saw her lifeless body, I couldn't contain myself. When I pulled myself back together... There were two more corpses in front of me. I took two lives... Right after my mother sacrificed herself for peace, I trampled on everything she wished for." Alice confessed, her voice quivering ever so slightly.

"That's not it... You didn't know what you were doing at the time, right? If you apologize to Lazarus..." Luka gently started.

"...Apologise for killing his friends in front of him!? Do you think Lazarus would ever accept that!? Do you think I could take away his pain, anger and hatred with some simple words!? An apology would just make him suffer and get even angrier!" Alice countered.

Luka was silent at that, unable to reply.

"In the end, I killed his friends! That's a fact. There is no way to apologise for that. The only thing I can do is keep acting liek the cold-blooded Monster Lord so he can keep hating me!" Alice exploded, for once showing what she was truly feeling.

Again, Luka couldn't say anything in response.

"Always... I've always regretted what I did. If I never did that... My mother's ideal might have already come true..." Alice trailed off in a regretful voice.

I knew there was no way for me to help her at that moment.

It was not my place, no matter how much I wanted to.

That role was always supposed to be the real Hero's.

"...It wasn't your fault, Alice. It was a horrible accident." Luka gently declared, patting Alice's head lightly.

"That's why... I'll atone. For destroying my mother's wish..." Alice started.

"It isn't atonement... You're inheriting her will. Negative thoughts like that will just get you killed, so that way of thinking is better. Didn't you tell me something like that before, Alice?" Luka interrupted her.

"My... My mother's will..." Alice trailed off in a dazed voice.

I inwardly sighed, aware that she had already interpreted Luka's words in a way he hadn't meant.

However, I also knew, that misunderstanding too would later be corrected by Luka's own hand.

"I want a world where humans and monsters can coexist together. I'm following the will of my dead father... And my own wish. Alice.. You're following the will of your mother, too. Let's do our best together with Daniel too, and continue on!" Luka enthusiastically proposed.

"Idiot... Don't group me together with you, you... You idiot..." Alice stammered, as she leaned her head on Luka's chest for a moment, trembling as she obviously was holding back tears.

A moment later, she quickly snapped back up and went back to her usual look.

But I could tell she was forcing herself, her energy still in turmoil from the intense emotion.

I just looked away from her, holding my own expression still.

"Hmph... The Monster Lord can't be cheered up by a Hero. Don't get the wrong idea, you idiot." Alice scoffed.

"Same here... I can't be a Hero who was cheered up by the Monster Lord!" Luka agreed, stiffening up like a disciplined soldier, even as they both hid a blush from one another.

I just facepalmed, already feeling a headache coming from the sheer amount of obliviousness around me...

"Alice, why did you decide to travel around the world?" Luka questioned, still looking away from her.

"I wanted to believe in my mother's dream, but I didn't think it was possible. The fighting between humans and monsters was getting heated, and the slightest spark seemed like it could set everything off. Even if I was just an individual monster... I was still the Monster Lord. If humans ever attacked us, I would have to confront them. It won't just stay as small fights and tiny confrontatons forever... Before it came to all-out war, I thought I should see the world first."Alice explained.

"Were you looking for the good in humans...?" Luka guessed.

"No... To be honest it was the reverse. Humans are dirty creatures that should be oppressed... They're evil, so they have to be destroyed... I was looking for a reason to believe that... But it seems I found the opposite..." Alice sighed, before smiling softly.

"In the same world in which Ilias Kreuz exists... There are also humans who are accepting of monsters. That may just make it possible for us to coexist in peace... I slowly began to think that." she concluded.

"Yeah, you're right. It can be made... A peaceful world." Luka declared.

"Damn straight, Hero." I agreed with a small grin.

"...I believe in you. But... You're going to be heading to the Monster Lord's castle now. Do you realize just how dangerous it really is?" Alice questioned.

"Yeah... It will be a lot harder than anything else before now. I understand that much, at least." Luka acknowledged.

"Eh, you'll be fine. The place is actually pretty welcoming too. Nice decòr and lighting." I waved off his concerns, remembering my own brief visit to the well-maintained castle.

"Is that so? I sort of expected it to look imposing and menacing..." Luka trailed off in surprise.

"...Your journey may end at any point... But you're still a virgin, aren't you?" Alice suddenly asked Luka, making me finally remember what was supposed to come next.

"Well, I'm glad we had this talk I'm just going to go buy some more supplies for the journey, ok bye!" I immediately yelled, before starting to sprint down the hill as fast as I could.

"Eh? Uwa!" I heard Luka startle, as he noticed Alice's hungry expression, making me speed up even more.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, we all headed back to the basement of the Ilias Kreuz headquarters where the egg was sitting.

"It's finally time to hatch it..." Luka spoke in a solemn tone, as he placed the six jewels in front of the large object.

Each time he set one down, it started to shine brightly, filling the room with colorful lights.

I could tell that the egg was already reacting to the energy within the gems, but something was missing.

"Uwa, look at them shining... What do I do next?" Luak asked Alice.

"Next is the hatching ritual. Two need to do the incantation... Ah." Alice suddenly stiffened up.

"Wh... What's wrong?" Luka asked in concern.

"The ceremony requires magical power from two monsters..." Alice wryly explained.

"Isn't that a pretty big issue now? Why didn't you mention that earlier...?" Luka questioned dejectedly.

"Too busy having your fun?" I teased her with a grin on my face, making Luka start his usual sputtering routine.

"I forgot all about that part until just now... I can do one half, so for the other half..." Alice replied, hiding her own embarrassment.

"Ahem... Will we have to find a monster nearby to help us...?" Luka pondered, finally regaining his composure.

"If I give an order, one will be forced to help. Is that what you want to do?"Alice questioned.

"Hrrmm... Well..." Luka hummed thoughtfully, before a dark presence entered the hall behind us with a loud clanging sound.

Turning around, we saw a banged-up garbage can rolling down the stairs.

"This seems to be a job for..." aa familiar annoying voice started, as the lid of the can started slowly lifting itself.

"Y... You...! ...Still hiding in garbage cans? Ilias Kreuz is no more, you don't need to hide..." Luka assured.

"I can't get out." Amira confessed.

"I see..." Luka hummed.

"Anyway, I just happened to be stalking you today, and heard what you were talking about! I'm a monster, so I can assist you in the ritual!" Amira declared.

"Can Amira do it, Alice?" Luka asked back, not even acknowledging the part about stalking him.

"She should be able to do it... But are you sure Amira? It consumes an awful lot of energy." Alice warned.

"I'll do anything for my darling! ...But first, get me out of here." Amira pleaded.

"Ah, sure..." Luka agreed, before yanking the unfortunate Lamia out of the trashcan.

"..Thank you, Amira. I'll be counting on you for the ritual." Luka said gratefully.

Amira just nodded, and crawled closer to Alice.

"Let us begin, Amira. Just face towards the egg, and repeat my words." Alice instructed, before both their energy surged.

"...Listen, child of the holy bird who has yet to hatch in this world." Alice started.

"...Listen, child of the holy bird who has yet to hatch in this world." Amira repeated.

"One whose wings are free to soar over the sky..." Alice continued.

"One whose wings are free to soar over the sky..." Amira parroted, as their energy flled the room completely.

"Now wake, Garuda!" Alice yelled.

"Now wake, Garuda!" Amira shouted, before a crack appeared on the egg's surface, emitting a blinding light.

I could feel, even with my eyes closed, the moment a life was truly born in this world...

I had never experienced anything even half as beautiful.

As the light faded, where the egg once was now stood a gigantic bird-like monster.

"Wah! I... It's huge..." Luka stammered in awe.

I still was just stunned by the incredible sensation, unable to formulate a proper response.

"Hmm, it looks like she hatched without any trouble. She sees us as her parents, so she'll do anything we say." Alice commented.

"Kuee!" the newborn legendary monster cried out, happily flapping her wings.

"She's actually kind of cute, in a way... By the way, Alice... You said it would consume a lot of energy, are you feeling alright?" Luka asked in concern.

"Hmph, that wasn't anything. The amount of energy that consumed is barely a rounding error to me." Alice scoffed.

Indeed, her aura felt the same as before.

However, Amira's was almost entirely shriveled instead.

"As for me.. That was 99% of my energy." Amira weakly wheezed, twitching on the ground, her eyes rolling backwards.

"Uwa! Amira!? A... Are you ok?" Luka questioned worriedly.

"I'm fine, it was just a momentary seizure. More importantly... We have to name our child, Luka." Amira replied.

"...Please don't ever call her 'our child' ever again." Luka deadpanned.

"My name is Amira, so... How about Arimakuul, the fearsome Adurag of Love?" Amira proposed.

"A... Absolutely not!" Luka denied.

"How about Galda, a little variation on Garuda?" Alice offered.

"I, uh... Guess that's fine...?" Luka agreed in surprise.

"Alright, then your name is Galda!" Alice declared, looking at the large monster.

"Kweh! Kweh!" the newly-christened Galda happily cawed.

"Alright Amira, shall we take you to the Inn?" Luka proposed.

"That won't be necessary." Amira assured, as she started crawling away on her own.

We all just looked at her with a tinge of respect, as she finally left.

"...Alright, let's go Alice, Daniel!" Luka declared.

"Yeah... We're finally off to the northern continent." Alice commented.

"About time. We had to do a lot of backtracking lately..." I complained.

"Kweh!" Galda happily cries out, extending her wings.

"Alright, I'm getting on." Alice said, as she gently jumped onto the bird-monster's back.

I did the same, as Luka himself carefully climbed his way up.

As I landed on the soft feathers, Galda turned to face me with big, round, curious eyes.

I just petted her head automatically, and she immediately leaned into my touch, cooing softly in satisfaction.

"But... Can we really fly in the sky like this? We won't get shaken off or something...?" Luka questioned fearfully.

"It's fine, she's a legendary bird." Alice assured.

Luka looked torn for a second, before just accepting the nonsensical argument with a sigh.

"Alright, let's head to Hellgondo! Let's go, Galda!" Luka declared.

However, Galda completely ignored him, simply continuing to enjoy her petting.

I already loved this natural-born genius prankster of a bird.

"Hey, Galda, could you take us to Hellgondo, please?" I politely requested.

"Kue!" Galda cried out, as she took off from the ground, flying her way out through the entrance.

"Eh? But... Why not me...?" Luka asked dejectedly.

"You didn't use the magic word." I provided, Galda cawing in agreement.

Alice just looked at me with a slightly surprised expression, as we finally left the abandoned church, and took to the heavens.

~– ~ – ~

"Uwaa! We're flying! We're flying!" Luka yelled in excitement, as we soared through the blue skies.

"...Of course we are. What did you think was going to happen after we got on Galda's back?" Alice deadpanned.

"Eh, it's still pretty nice up here..." I sighed, enjoying the refreshing breeze.

It was certainly different from flying on my own wings, and since I didn't really have anything to fear from falling, I was fully relaxed, as I leaned back on Galda's soft plumage.

"Uwa... That's Gold Port! It's so tiny! The sea is huge! And look at that huge beach! And the sky! The sky, Alice, the sky!" Luka kept shouting enthusiastically.

"...Shut up, calm down." Alice ordered.

"And we're going so fast... By the way, how far away is the northers continent?" Luka questioned.

"From Gold port... About one hour." Alice calculated.

"That fast!? Wow Galda, you're amazing!" Luka praised.

"Kweh!" Galda happily cried out at the compliment, flapping her wings even faster.

I closed my eyes and fully laid down my back on the comfy feathers, as I thought back on the journey until then.

A lot had happened, but overall we were still hopefully on the right track.

Thankfully I had managed to keep my mouth shut, even in the semi-conscious state I had been in for the last few days...

I only hoped I had also managed not to cause any weird misunderstandings either.

~– ~ – ~

After some more time, finally the continent of Hellgondo came into view.

Huge mountains ringed its shores, seemingly piercing right into the clouds themselves, as if the very landscape was designed to be an impenetrable fortress.

"It's finally time... What's that? Something's coming!" Luka suddenly exclaimed, as a dark presence shot towards us like an arrow, flying through the air.

Both me and Alice hid ourselves under Galda's large feathers, as a Wyvern Girl came to a stop above us.

"It can't be... A Hero riding on a Garuda Girl!? I'm an air defense soldier of the Monster Lord! If you want to get to Hellgondo, you'll have to get past me first!" the scaled monster declared.

"A soldier of the Monster Lord?" Luka repeated, glancing back to look for Alice and I, and obviously noticing our absence.

"You can't defeat me when we're in the air! I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget!" the Wyvern Girl declared as her aura surged, before charging him.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, as he unsheathed his sword.

He swung forward, his blade hitting his opponent's scales, but the force behind his blow was insufficient to cause satisfactory damage, as a result of the unstable footing.

"This isn't good... I'll have to use my sword skills... Hm?" Luka stopped, as Salamander's energy flared up a little inside him, talking to him.

"Come as I suck on you!" the Wyvern Girl commanded, as she rapidly lowered Luka's pants, strongly sucking on his member.

Luak retaliated with a slash, forcing the monster to retreat, but he still couldn't deal enough damage.

"It's no good... Eh...? But... G... Got it!" Luka declared, as Salamander kept communicating with him.

"Will I crush it between my breasts...?" the Wyvern Girl drawled, as she used her chest to smother Luka's crotch.

However, Luka ignored her, as he closed his eyes, a red energy starting to burn through him.

"Infuse my sword with the flames of hell itself!" Luka shouted, as he guided the flames inside his blade, licks of flame running up and down it.

He then proceeded to go to town on his opponent, letting out a powerful war cry as he utterly devastated her with a flurry of chaotic slashes, the monster unable to retaliate, or even defend.

"Forgive me, your majesty!" the Wyvern girl lamented, as she was sealed into a small winged lizard that immediately took off towards the mainland.

"Alright Galda... Let's land!" Luka declared, as we were now above the mountains.

Of course, Galda just ignored him.

I friggin' loved that bird.

"Galda, let's land." Alice ordered, before the large mosnter cried out its agreement and started lowering us to the ground.

"Why doesn't she listen to me...? That kind of hurts..." Luka whined.

"Idiot..." is all Alice said in response, as we finally landed.

~– ~ – ~

"This is Hellgondo... This place feels strange." Luka commented, as we all climbed down from Galda's back.

"The clear air feels nice. Ahh, my birthplace is the best." Alice sighed in satisfaction.

I could tell the reason she was feeling so well here was likely a different one, however.

The concentration of Dark energy there was far thicker than anywhere else I had ever been, so much so that I felt my body growing stronger even just by being there, greedily taking in as much of it as it could, making me feel more energized than ever before.

I couldn't tell how exactly that worked, but it was not an unwelcome surprise.

I knew that there was little chance of me mutating visibly once again, this was likely just a good way for me to get stronger in preparation for the future.

And I needed all the advantages I could get.

"Anyway... Whe have to go on the ground, from here. Riding on Galda would make us stand out way too much." Alice declared.

"That's fine... But what will Galda do?" Luka questioned in concern.

"She'll be fine on her own. No human will step foot on this land, and no other mosnter will attack her... Got that, Galda?" Alice concluded, turning to the Large monster.

"Kweh!" Galda cawed, as she moved closer to me, rubbing her feathered head on my chest.

I just sighed and petted her for a minute or so, before she took off into the air.

"Galda really seems to like you, huh...? I sorta wish I was the same..." Luka trailed off dejectedly.

"It IS quite unusual. Usually Garudas only acknowledge other monsters..." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"Guess she must have instinctively known I'm not fully human then. Either that, or Luka's just that unimpressive to her." I shrugged.

"...But where are we right now?" Luka asked after a moment of annoyed silence, trying to change the argument.

"Right now we're at the southernmost tip of the continent. If we head straight north, we should reach the Monster Lord's castle in a few days. But... Before that, there's somewhere I want to go." Alice suddenly requested.

"...Where's that?" Luka questioned.

"I agree. We should go to Remina first." I interjected.

"...Ah! Of course... You did say that was one of your objectives. That was a long time ago, huh?" Luka reminished.

"Yeah. I don't know if we're going to find anything there after so long, but it's worth a shot." I confirmed.

"...Are you sure? You don't have to force yourself to come." Alice offered.

"I'm fine. Nobody I knew personally died there." I assured, for once speaking truthfully.

"I see... Very well then." Alice acquiesced, as Luka took out his map.

"Hmm... What's this? Sealed Sinners' Prison...? Do you have a prison for monsters on this continent?" Luka suddenly asked, pointing to a small spot marked on his charts.

"I'm not positive, but... Humans who committed serious crimes in the past had their souls sealed there by Ilias. It's said she put them there to make sure their souls would never know peace." Alice explained.

"To make sure they never had peace...? Just what did those sinners do...? Hmm... Mind if we stopped by?" Luka proposed.

"What have you come all this way for, you idiot? Are you really going to make a sidetrip just to satisfy your curiosity at this point?" Alice asked in annoyance.

"Why not? It's not like we're in any rush. Besides, if we meet some monsters on the way it could help hone Luka's skills just a bit further." I shrugged.

"It's more than just curiosity... I almost feel like I have to go." Luka added.

"...It's your journey, I won't interfere with it... Idiot." Alice sighed in resignation, before a massive dark presence suddenly started approaching us, the earth rumbling and shaking under our feet at its every step.

"What!? An earthquake!?" Luka shouted, before the gargantuan monster finally stood in front of us.

She just looked like a classic dragon for the most part, except she had a human head with horns on the forehead and an actual forest on her back instead of wings.

"...Please, tell me she's about as smart as that Sandworm Girl was..." I whimpered miserably, as I didn't have anywhere to hide, Alice already having disappeared.

"I... It's huge!" Luka exclaimed fearfully, taking a step back from the massive dragon.

"...? Human... Delicious..." the Kyouryuu slowly spoke out, licking her lips as she looked at Luka.

"Guh... Do I have to fight!?" Luka asked nervously, as he drew his sword.

"I really hope you have a plan, cause I don't think we can run from something this big!" I yelled out, even as I took a fighting stance.

Luka summoned Gnome and Sylph together, before rushing forward, starting to slash furiously at the monster's huge body.

"Nnn... *Slurp*" the monster smacked her lips, as she bent down near Luka and covering him with a huge amount of saliva.

"Eew... That doesn't look like a great plan..." I just grimaced in disgust, trying to think of a better strategy.

Luka just kept wailing on his opponent as fast as he could, ignoring her attempts to savor him.

"Ah..." the Kyouryuu let out, as she opened her mouth wide, slowly moving it closer to Luka's body.

I saw Luka's face light up with realization for a moment for a moment, before it was replaced with a steel-like resolve, even as the monster's jaw closed over him.

"...! Luka!" I yelled out in desperation, after a moment of complete, horrified disbelief.

"Human... Delicious..." the monster muttered, as she rolled her tongue in her mouth, tasting my friend.

I felt something in me snap, as for the first time ever after my transformation I stopped holding back, rocketing towards the Kyouryuu's face like a missile, my feet leaving a deep groove on the ground from the recoil.

"RAAAAH!" I shouted in a loud war cry, as I smashed the monster's face with a Shadow Hammer at full strength.

The gigantic monster reeled back from the impact, opening her mouth to let out a pained yelp, my friend flying out of it with a surprised expression on his face, still covered in drool.

I didn't stop there, however.

I grabbed onto one of the monster's horns to avoid falling back down, before pulling myself up above it with one arm, launching myself behind the monster's scaled neck, and sliding down it towards her back.

Then I grabbed two big handfuls of the monster's hairstrands and pulled as strongly as I could, the Dragon's neck straining as it was forcefully bent backwards in an uncomfortable position.

I rapidly tied the strands to the trunks of the huge trees, before repeating the process with as many more hairs as I could, the monster unable to retaliate, as her limbs could not reach me.

"Now, Luka! Seal her!" I yelled out, as I jumped down from the Dragon's back, anticipating a possible desperate roll.

Luka looked at me in astonishment for a second, before snapping out of his reverie and summoning Salamander, starting to desperately wail on his opponent with a blazing Death Sword Chaos star.

"No more..." the Kyouryuu lamented, as she was sealed in the form of a giant turtle.

"I... I managed to pull that off..." Luka stammered, his breathing ragged.

"Luka! Are you ok!?" I immediately yelled, as I examined his body for wounds.

"I'm alright... She didn't really try to kill me, I think...!" Luka started, before I interrupted him with a hug.

...I had always known that this world was dangerous.

I was keenly aware of how lucky me and Luka both had been to avoid a terrible fate so far...

But seeing something like that?

My very best friend about to be eaten like a piece of candy?

It had simply been too much.

"Daniel..." Luka called out in confusion, as I still held onto him for dear life with trembling hands.

Then I broke off the hug and slapped him in the face.

"Never do that again, you hear me!? Do you think I couldn't tell what you were thinking!? 'Attacking her from the outside won't work, so I'll do that from the inside', right!? Did you ever stop to consider she could just have bit down on you or swallowed you whole at any point!? There's a limit to how long the Spirits can support you as well! If Gnome's power had ran out at any time, you would have had no way out! And even if you did manage to seal her that way, what do you think would happen!?" I shouted angrily.

"I... Don't know..." Luka stammered in a dazed voice, holding his reddening cheek.

"Exactly! For all you knew, there was a chance the seal could forcibly shrink her body and crush you in the process! How many times have I told you that you need to dodge attacks as a first priority!? You can't expect the Spirits to be able to preserve your life no matter how reckless you are! You're smart, all you need to do is actually USE your head!" I roared.

"...I'm sorry... I..." Luka weakly apologised, unable to continue his sentence.

I just took a deep breath to calm myself down a bit, before I started speaking again.

"I don't want your apology. You haven't done anything to me. I just want you to be more careful from now on. I already told you, if you die, every life you would save dies with you... Your life doesn't just belong to you." I concluded in a grim tone, fully aware that I had no right to give such lectures.

In the first place, I was the one who condemned the world to a future of war when I could have averted it.

My words had no weight...

But they were still all I had.

"I promise... I won't try something like that again." Luka vowed.

"Good." I simply replied, ending the conversation.

"...Anyway, you've both become awfully strong to be able to beat a monster like that." Alice commented.

"W... Wa... Was... WAS THAT PRAISE!?" Luka yelled out in utter disbelief.

"Alice, are you feeling alright!? Do you have a fever!?" I asked in mock-concern.

"Annoying as always..." Alice scoffed, turning away from us both.

I just grinned in response, as we finally started walking towards our next objective.

Inwardly, however, I was already bracing myself, fully aware that the next leg of our journey would be the last before the peace fully ended.

I knew that, one way or another, Me, Luka and Alice would never be the same after that...

All I could hope for, was that both them and the world itself wouldn't have to pay the ultimate price for my cowardice.


	47. Chapter 46: Tying up loose ends

"Alright, Let's go to Remina." Luka declared, as we started moving towards the destroyed village.

"Yes..." Alice simply agreed in a solemn voice.

I just kept silent, walking behind the two of them, already bracing for the oncoming fights.

~– ~ – ~

The journey wasn't very long, and we did not encounter any difficulties during it, a somber mood lingering over our group all the way.

Finally, we reached the ruins of what was once a vibrant and beautiful settlement, now devoid of any signs of life, toppled buildings and stones strewn all over it.

To my horror, the ground was also littered with bones in various shapes and forms...

I barely managed to control myself, but still couldn't help but shiver at the sight.

"Wow... There was a mass slaughter here thirty years ago..." Luka spoke out, overlooking the absolutely dead city around us.

"Not just the slaughter, but the city itself was destroyed. It's almost like they were trying to erase the city itself." Alice commented.

"Just who did this...? Look, Alice... That bone." Luka said, pointing at what I could only assume was a Lamia's tailbone.

I repressed the urge to gag, though my breathing got quicker.

"That confirms it, monsters were killed here as well. Just what in the hell happened?" Alice questioned.

Suddenly, a dark presence appeared within my range behind our position, rapidly approaching us.

The feeling it gave could be nothing but artificial.

""Luka, something's here!"" Alice and I both warned at the same time.

"Yeah, I can feel it...!" Luka agreed, as the presence revealed itself, jumping out of a ruined building.

The unnatural mishmash of different creatures the monster was made out of included a humanoid torso with four sets of breasts, elfine ears on a blonde haired head complete with two mismatched horns and four long tongues.

Its arms and backside were similar to some sort of furred beast, with a pair of large crow-like wings coming out of its sides, matching the bird-like rear legs.

The tail was instead reptile-like in nature, with a fleshy-looking hole at its tip.

I could feel no intelligence within the beast, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Wh... Who are you!?" Luka asked aloud.

"...I don't recognize this monster." Alice admitted in a wary tone.

"Human... Monster... Eliminate." the Chimers Beast droned, before rapidly charging Luka, swiping at him with her clawed front legs.

"Guh..." Luka grimaced, as he barely dodged the swift blow.

"Don't let your guard down, you two! This thing's physical abilities are insanely high!" Alice warned.

"Yeah, got it!" Luka replied, as we both assumed a fighting stance.

Suddenly, another presence revealed itself, appearing from some nearby tall grass.

"Another one!?" Luka exclaimed.

"No... It's not just two!" Alice declared, as more and more presences like the ones before us started appearing within my range.

"What the hell is going on!?" Luka yelled incredulously.

"This isn't the time to lose focus!" Alice yelled, as she took to the fight herself, smashing one of the beasts through a nearby building, before zooming towards the biggest group.

"Oi, Alice!" Luka called out, as he tried to follow her, but his path was blocked by the first Chimera Beast.

"Target selected. Human male. Gene quality... High." the artificial monster droned.

"Guh...! ...B... Bring it!" Luka exclaimed, as he engaged his enemy.

At the same time, another lone Chimera Beast fell towards him from above, trying to ambush him.

I bllured away from my spot, slamming my fist into the beast's flank mid-air, her body careening off-course and smashing through a brick wall.

As Luka fought his own opponent, the beast in front of me got up to its feet and stared at me with lifeless eyes.

"Target selected. Human male. Gene quality... ERROR. Impossible to detect target's energy. Proceed to manual sampling." the Chimera droned, before charging me.

I immediately turned off all my senses apart from aura and touch, sidestepping a claw swipe and sending a powerful kick to the beast's solar plexus.

The blow was satisfactory, andf the monster slid back on the ground, digging a small trench with its claws.

I felt a slight vibration in the air, as the monster said something, before shooting all of her long tongues towards my waist.

I grabbed them all four with my hands before they could reach their target, and yanked hard on them, making the beast stumble forward.

I immediately used a Broken shadow to appear in front of her, slamming a palm strike on its chin.

The monster didn't even react to the pain, even as it bit through all of her tongues, blood spurting out of her mouth, spraying onto my clothes.

The Chimera Beast then tried to bind my body with her tail, and I flipped away backwards, flying through the air.

She immediately pounced on me, and I took the opportunity to perform a Grasping shadow, slamming her on the ground with all my strength.

I had planned to just finish it off with a Shadow Hammer to the back of the neck to break her spine...

But I just couldn't go through with it.

In my single moment of hesitation, the monster suddenly flew back up, and tried to jump me again.

She slammed me to the ground, as I barely held her clawed paws from my face with both arms.

She leaned into me, trying to crush me with her weight, as her tail started moving towards my belt.

I immediately kicked her away as strong as I could, throwing her backwards into another wall, and before she could get back up, I blurred to her side, jumping onto her back, and holding her neck from behind in a chokehold.

The beast kept struggling fiercely, even as I stared at her emotionless eyes.

"...I'm sorry." I couldn't help but whisper, as I tightened my grip and PULLED, a sickening crack echoing through the air, unheard by my ears, but felt through my own bones, as the Chimera slumped on the ground and stopped moving.

For a moment, I just stared at the limp carcass, who looked almost the same as it did in life, except for the unnatural angle its neck was now twisted in.

Then I turned away from it, as Luka finished off his own opponent with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

"Injured... Too much damage..." the other Chimera Beast droned, before exploding into meat chunks, leaving a tiny live tiger in its place.

"...Wh ...What? What the hell was that...?" Luka stammered in confusion, as the tiny tiger ran away.

"Are you okay, Luka?" I asked in a tone as calm as I could muster, desperately suppressing the urge to vomit.

"I'm fine... That's right, where's Alice?" Luka replied.

"She should be in that direction. I can feel her fighting more of these things." I said, pointing in the direction Alice's aura was in.

"This way...? ...! Daniel, are you alright!?" Luka questioned loudly, as he noticed the remains of the monster I had killed behind me and the bloodstains on my clothes.

"...I'm fine. I'm not hurt. Let's go, Alice might need some help." I declared, as I started moving.

Luka's gaze lingered on the corpse for a few seconds, before he started following me.

~– ~ – ~

"Oi, oi... Is it really ok for the Monster Lord to be doing this?" Luka questioned, as we came across multiple Chimera Beast bodies, all killed by Alice.

"These creatures aren't sentient. They are nothing but killing machines. They aren't even monsters... They're something else." I explained, more for my own benefit than Luka's.

"You're right... We should keep moving." Luka declared, as we rushed forward, before he suddenly stopped.

"Her!?" he yelled out in surprise, as I turned to face in his same direction.

I barely caught a glimpse of a white coat, before it vanished.

Instantly, my senses lit up in alarm, as I readied myself for a Broken Shadow at a moment's notice.

Then I processed the fact I had not been able to feel Promestein's aura at all, despite having kept my consciousness focused on my aura sense the entire time.

I barely restrained myself from bolting right then and there, forcibly reminding myself that the only safe place for me was at Luka's side.

She wouldn't dare to interfere directly with him and his group under Ilias' gaze... Right?

"Is she a survivor of Remina...? ...Wh... What...?" Luka stammered, as he noticed an approaching dark presence through the wind.

"What is this...? S... Show yourself!" he yelled out, as he unsheathed his holy blade, the artificial monster revealing itself a moment after.

She looked remarkably similar to an opponent we had already defeated in the past, a human woman's corpse covered in various types of plant matter, all of them carnivorous.

"Y... You...!?" Luka stammered in disbelief.

"It's not the same type as last time! Be careful!" I warned, as I rushed forward to provide a distraction for Luka to summon his spirits.

Immediately, the monster shot some vines toward me, trying to entrap me.

I blurred and reappeared at its side, barely dodging the attack, before slamming my fist into its ribs to knock it away.

I felt a bone crack, but the monster remained expressionless, even as it flew backwards, before shooting a venus flytrap at me.

Luka finally joined the fight, empowered by Sylph and Gnome, cutting through the stem connecting the flytrap to the rest of the body.

After looking at each other with a nod, we both rushed forward.

I blurred to the monster's back, starting to throw kicks at the legs to keep it off-balance, as Luka started wailing on her from the front.

I felt the monster's energy surge, and a sweet smell started wafting through the air.

I immediately shut down my sense of smell, my facemask already in place, and Luka was protected by Syplh instead.

The monster's largest pitcher began to ooze with a strange liquid, but I quickly kicked its legs once more before it could capture Luka with it.

We fought in perfect sync, as I adapted my movements to my own prediction of his, supporting him as best I could.

Finally, Luka summoned Salamander and started devastating the Chimera's defenses with a Death Sword Chaos Stat, as I deftly pushed the monster around to maximise the damage.

At last, our opponent stilled, before turning into plants all over the ground.

"Haa... Haaa... Just what was that...?" Luka whezed ,as he recovered his breath from the last berserker barrage.

I just stayed silent, my expression one of careful consideration.

"Hmm...? What's this?" Luka suddenly perked up, as he found what looked to be a white feather stuck underneath some weeds.

I could feel a small amount of Light energy still coursing through it, as it shone faintly.

I instantly knew what Luka had found.

And I knew that I needed it.

"Is this a Harpy feather...? Wah! You're all bloody!" Luka startled, as Alice reappeared before us, bathed in her enemies' blood.

I had to take a deep breath and remind me she was on our side to avoid shrieking like a little girl myself...

Still, yuck.

"Hmph, it's their blood. They couldn't put a scratch on me." Alice scoffed.

"It's still pretty disgusting... Here." I said, offering her a wet towel I took out of my bag.

She wordlessly accepted after a moment of hesitation, and rapidly scrubbed off the red liquid from herself, before handing back the dirty cloth.

"Just what's going on here...? Those strange monsters, and that strange woman in the white coat..." Luka muttered thoughtfully, as Alice's eyes went to the glowing object in his hands.

"That feather..." she spoke in surprise, as she snatched it away from him.

"Oh, i found it here. I wonder if it came from a Harpy that used to live here..." Luka pondered.

"No, that wouldn't have lasted thirty years. This radiance that won't face for a century... It's an Angel feather." Alice declared.

"An Angel!? Why would something like that be here...?" Luka asked in confusion, as Alice's eyes met my own for a moment.

I just closed my own in a neutral expression, motioning slightly towards Luka and shaking my head.

After a long moment of hesitation, Alice nodded in acknowledgement, before turning to Luka again.

"...There's no reason to hang around here any longer. More of those strange creatures are likely to show up, too... Let's leave." she declared.

"But... I still haven't figured anything out." Luka pointed out.

Again, Alice glanced at me for a moment, and I simply looked away, unwilling to let her read me.

"...You won't find anything out by staying here. Unless you want to exterminate every single one of those strange creatures?" Alice insisted.

"Well... Did you figure something out?" Luka asked.

"...It doesn't concern you." Alice replied neutrally.

"What's with that...?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"You came this far for peace, didn't you?" Alice asked back.

"Th... That's right..." Luka stammered.

"Then only focus on humans coexisting with monsters in the future. This town was destroyed decades ago. It doesn't concern you now.. You're a Hero, right? Then you shouldn't know. No... You don't need to know." Alice concluded.

"...I'm not a hero. I'm a fake, unbaptized one." Luka pointed out.

"If you're still worried about this town, then come investigate it yourself after everything's over. After you create a world where humans and monsters can coexist." Alice proposed.

"...But what about you, Daniel? Have you found something?" Luka suddenly asked, turning to me.

"...Let's just go, Luka." I pleaded in a somber voice, unwilling to lie again.

"What? But..." Luka protested.

"Please." I insisted, not needing to fake my discomfort.

"...! ...Alright... Just... I'm here if you need me, okay?" Luka acquiesced, offering his support.

I just nodded in acknowledgement, as we finally left the ruins of the slaughtered village.

~– ~ – ~

"...Hey, Alice." I called out, as we crossed the border of the destroyed settlement.

"Yes?" she answered.

"That feather... Can I have it?" I requested.

"...Of course. Here." Alice easily agreed, handing over the small, glowing object.

"Thank you." I simply said, as I quietly observed it for a few moment, before putting it in my breast pocket.

No further words were spoken, as we started moving towards our next objective.

To be honest, I had no idea how I could use that feather.

I thought maybe it could be my only chance to gain access to a weapon capable of harming Angels, or maybe even just to study the properties of Light energy.

Had I known how things would turn out however, I never would have even touched it...

~– ~ – ~

"Alright... Shall we head to the Sealed Sinners' prison?" Luka proposed, as we moved back eastward.

"...If you want to go so bad, then go. It isn't far, anyway. But not even monsters visit there. Just what about it is making you so interested?" Alice questioned curiously.

"I wonder what...? I don't even really know myself." Luka confessed.

"Sheesh. Even after making it all the way here, you're still going on stupid side-quests." Alice complained.

I could tell, however, that she was about as unwilling to go directly to the castle yet as I was...

~– ~ – ~

As we walked the barren wasteland, suddenly a dark presence approached us.

The monster looked fairly like a normal human wearing a black dress, though her pinkish purple skin tone, red eyes, and exposed pointed fangs were a dead giveaway of her true nature.

"How unusual, two humans wandering around on this continent... Even more, one of them looks so tasty... Hehe." the Vampire chuckled.

Normally, i'd have made a quip about chopped liver, but I still was a bit queasy from the fight with the Chimera Beast...

"Guh... A Vampire...?" Luka grimaced, recognizing the monster's species.

"Hehe... Do you want me to suck out your blood? Or would you rather I suck your semen? If you desire, I can even suck both... I can suck out both your blood and semen until you're dry..." the monster drawled seductively, as Luka summoned Sylph and Gnome in preparation.

This time, I hung back, wanting Luka to gain as much experience from this fight as possible.

This would likely be one of the last chances for it after all...

"All men like having their energy sucked from here..." the Vampire smiled, as she quickly lowered Luka's pants, starting to suck on him.

Luka immediately retaliated with an Earth Rumbling decapitation, sending the monster reeling back from the impact, before advancing on her with a Lightning Sword Flash.

"I'll bind you with my dress, and suck you dry..." the monster drawled, as her dress moved on its own, and wrapped around Luka's body.

"How does my dress feel...? I'll drain you just like this..." the monster licked her lips, as Luka started struggling fiercely.

"Hehe... Is that all you've got? I'll torment you here until you come..." the Vampire mocked, as her dress shifted around Luka's crotch.

Luka struggled even more fiercely, Gnome's power coursingthrough him, and managed to break the dress, freeing himself.

"What power is that...?" the Vampire questioned, before Luka immediately Summoned Salamander and rushed forward in a berserker rage.

Finally, after a devastating Death Sword Chaos Star, the monster's energy was depleted.

"Is this... A Hero's power!?" the Vampire stammered in disbelief, as she was sealed in the form of a bat.

"Such powerful monsters are just walking around... This place is crazy." Luka sighed, as he started resheathing his sword.

"Don't. There's another one." I quickly stated, feeling a different dark aura already approaching.

"What!?" Luka startled, as another monster revealed herself.

She looked remarkably similar to a certain Final Fantasy monster I knew about, almost as large as a horse in size, with black skin and white fur near her clawed hands, a pair of red curved horns atop her head, and red hair extending down the length of her spine down to the tip of her long tail.

"What's a human doing here? Ah, did ya come here just to be fucked by me by any chance? And ya even brought a friend, how cute..." the dark-skinned monster licked her lips hungrily, staring at the both of us.

No matter how many times, being looked at with those kind of eyes was always a strange experience.

It wasn't that being desired was unpleasant per se, I don't think...

Almost anyone would like the fact someone showed appreciation for their physique on some level.

If not for the fact consent was not considered a factor, that is...

"A... A Behemoth!?" Luka yelled in disbelief, recognizing the legendary monster's species.

"That's some great timing ya both got there. I was just getting into my breeding phase, and it looks like ya could have some good sperm..." the monster commented gleefully, as Luka prepared to fight, alread summoning Gnome.

However, instead of coming at him first, the Behemoth moved her gaze to me.

"Come on, I'll suck it out of ya!" she yelled, as she leaped towards me.

I just sighed loudly, before using my maximum speed to disappear from that spot, the large monster's hands touching only an afterimage as I reappeared about ten meters away.

"Wow, you're hella quick! This is going to be a fun chase!" the Behemoth grinned, as Luka finally entered combat himself, slashing her side with his sword.

"How about I crush that penis of yours between my breasts?" the monster laughed, as she pressed her voluptuous chest on Luka's crotch.

Luka just ignored the assault, entirely focused on keeping the monster's attention away from me.

He was perhaps a little too sucessful.

"I'm gonna torment ya with my tail!" the monster yelled, as she wrapped her appendage around Luka's body.

"Hehehe... How do ya want me to torment ya? How about I strangle you to death...?" the Behemoth panted excitedly, as Luka started struggling in her hold.

"Haha, let me see some more of that pathetic squirming! I'll make it tighter and torment ya! Haha, don't think that ya can get away with that pathetic excuse for struggling! Let me see ya squirm in agony!" the monster laughed sadistically, as she tightened her tail's grip more and more.

Finally, luka managed to free himself with a powerful war cry, and started wailing on his opponent again.

"A power stronger than mine...? What the hell are you!?" the Behemoth yelled, as she turned to face me again.

She quickly swatted Luka aside with an arm swipe, and charged towards me, much faster than before.

Seeing no other choice, I flowed aside her blows, my feet weaving a pattern on the ground, never leaving it, all my senses except touch, hearing and aura shut down.

The Behemoth was strong, but she wasn't much speedy, and her blows were amateurish at best.

"Why can't I hit ya!? Stand still, damn it!" the Behemoth raged, as she kept swinging and swinging, hitting nothing but air.

Finally, luka appeared above the monster, performing an Earth Rumbling Decapitation infused with Gnome's power to flatten her to the ground, before finishing her off with a Salamander-infused Death Sword Chaos Star.

"How can a human have such power!?" the Behemoth asked in disbelief, as she turned into a strange creature that looked a bit like a mix between a lion and a rhino.

"Daniel, are you alright!?" Luka immediately asked in concern, searching my body for any wounds.

"I'm fine. She couldn't touch me, I could basically feel every blow before she even started swinging. She may have been powerful, but she was a total amateur." I dismissingly replied.

"Whew, that's great... You're amazing, Daniel, you know that? I have to summon Undine just to move as good as you do..." Luka smiled in relief.

"Eh, I basically have real-life hax, it's really no merit of mine for the most part." I shrugged.

"...'Hax'? What is that?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"...Reference from a book I read. Doesn't matter." I lied, looking away from him and into the void.

"I see... But what is it about?" Luka insisted.

"Basically, it means I have an unfair advantage. I didn't do anything to earn my senses, and they are extremely useful. You actually had to pass the Spirits' trials to gain access to something similar." I explained.

"But you still had to train to make use of them, right? It's not like you could have moved like that when we first met." Luka pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's not really the point. Besides, I never would have gotten this strong without my monster blood awakening. That accelerated my training exponentially. And even so, you were always one step beyond me, even as a normal human. Personally, I think the more amazing one between us is you." I sincerely declared.

Luka just sheepishly scratched his head in embarrassment, lightly blushing, as Alice looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"...Anyway, shall we move on? We should be close by now, right?" I proposed.

"Alright. Let's go." Luka agreed, before we started walking again.

~– ~ – ~

"This is the Sealed Sinners' Prison...?" Luka questioned aloud, as we overlooked a set of ruins with a broken stone monument in the middle, an altar close to it.

I could feel a powerful seal holding inside what looked like thousands of tiny lights, and a thick Light energy permeated the whole structure.

"Eh? Eh? I smell my former master here..." Sylph suddenly exclaimed, as she moved out of Luka's body and started looking around.

"Former master...?" Luka questioned.

"Ehehe, this is so nostalgic!" Sylph singsang, as she did a little dance in mid-air.

I was always grateful for the smiles the little Spirit always managed to bring to my face.

"Only horrible criminals were sealed here, right?" Luka asked.

"Yes... Though their bodies rotted away, their souls are stuck here. Unable to talk or communicate with the living world, nor able to turn toward the world of the dead." Alice confirmed.

"I... I wonder what that huge criminal's same was...? ...Heinrich Hein!?" Luka suddenly yelled out, as he read the legendary Hero's name on the stone monument.

"Th... That can't be... It must be someone with the same name..." Luka stammered in disbelief.

"Luka... In the human stories, what is said to have happened to the Hero Heinrich?" Alice questioned.

"After he defeated the Monster lord, it's said Ilias led him to Heaven..." Luka replied.

"What a vague-sounding ending, almost like a fairy tale. That sounds like something appended to the story since nobody knew what happened to him." Alice declared.

"Was this an act of monsters...? Ilias couldn't have sealed the Hero Heinrich, so was it the next Monster Lord...?" Luka hypothesised.

"I haven't heard of anything like that. Besides... This strong seal is undoubtedly Ilias' work. A crime so serious that she would make sure he never had peace... I can only think of one thing that would bring that from her." Alice started.

"Rebelling against Ilias... That can't be... What happened...?" Luka spoke in disbelief.

Silence reigned for a while after that, as I silently stood behind the two of them.

I briefly considered what fate could possibly be worse than the one Heinrich was going through, and couldn't help but wonder what mine would be...

At least, unlike the ancient Hero, whatever happened to me, I probably would deserve it.

"...There's quite a lot of troubling issues here. But standing here and thinking about them until we're senile won't solve anything. Besides, you can't dawdle here forever, can you?" Alice finally broke the silence.

"Th... That's right... Hmm?" Luka startled, as we started leaving, when his sword's energy surged for a split second, glowing from its scabbard.

"What's wrong, Luka?" Alice asked.

"Err, I thought I saw my sword react to something... Was it just my imagination?" Luka wondered, as we finally moved out of the ruins.

~– ~ – ~

As we walked away, I looked back to the broken monument one last time, knowing the last loose end had finally been tied up as well.

...So, it was finally time.

I had done all I could to prepare.

I could only hope it would be enough...

But I didn't have much hope.

I was keenly aware of just how unsurmountable the odds were.

I knew that, even without me messing up anything for our side, the chances of victory were slim at best.

And, most of all, I knew, whether or not we did win, I would lose my friends regardless, as they finally would learn of my cowardice.

To be honest, that thought hurt me more than anything else...


	48. Chapter 47: Consequences III

Part 1: Luka

As the young Hero finally neared the last objective of his journey, he couldn't help but think back once more on everything he and his friends had been through on the journey so far.

~– ~ – ~

On the way to Grand Noah, Luka had still been thinking hard about just what could Daniel's problem have been about.

His friend had looked the same as always, but Luka now had some experience in dealing with him.

He could tell that, indeed, there was something that bothered him.

However, he couldn't begin to guess at what it could actually be.

~– ~ – ~

For a moment, Luka had considered it might have been about food, since his friend did have sort of an extreme reaction at the mention of the local delicacies of Yamatai.

But no, that wasn't it...

~– ~ – ~

Even as Luka used the power of Gnome for the first time, his body filling with overwhelming strength, the young Hero had idly wondered how his comrade's fighting prowess would compare to his own.

Daniel hadn't fought often, mostly content with standing on the sidelines, but Luka knew he was a capable combatant.

His talent had even been enough to impress Alice, after all, and she was the Monster Lord herself!

In fact, ever since his first real fight, none of his comrade's opponents had been able to even touch him.

Except when he had interposed himself to save Luka that is...

However, Luka hadn't ever felt envious of his friend's fighting prowess.

He was only reassured by the fact his comrade was getting stronger.

And also, Luka himself was quickly improving as well, thanks to both his training under Alice and the power of the Spirits, and he felt like the difference between them couldn't be too large anyway.

There was, however, one thing that had been bugging him...

His friend had never asked him to spar, even as they trained together every day.

Luka had always thought that was because his friend didn't enjoy fighting for no good reason.

However, when Daniel had expressed interest in entering the Coliseum as a contestant, that possibility was put into question.

Luka then had another thought.

...Was his friend aware of his own power?

Maybe he thought he was still weak?

It would have made sense, given the fact Daniel had always fought while holding back to avoid injuring his opponents, letting Luka deal the finishing blow every time...

If so, then that could have been the reason behind his discomfort!

And Luka knew just the way to solve the problem!

All he needed to do was give his friend a chance to prove himself!

It was perfect!

Or so Luka had thought...

Unfortunately, his friend had still refused to spar with him.

Luka had tried to insist, as he was sure his method would work.

But then he had stopped for a moment, as another thought entered his head.

This time, however, it had not been a good one.

Luka had dismissed the horrible notion immediately, inwardly reproaching himself for the stupid idea.

But, no matter what he did, he just couldn't get rid of it completely.

~– ~ – ~

Even as they explored together the beautiful city of Grand Noah, Luka was still thinking hard in the back of his mind.

Luka knew Daniel was smart.

He always seemed to be aware of everything, and was always thinking ahead.

How could he possibly miscalculate his own power?

And if this was true, then there was only reason Luka could think of for his refusal.

Even as guilt consumed him for even considering such a dreadful thing, he just couldn't eradicate the horrible thought from his mind, no matter how many times he refused to accept it.

~– ~ – ~

When the Queen of Grand Noah had requested their help to win the tournament, Luka had jumped onto the chance.

Maybe his friend would realize his strength this way!

And Luka could finally be rid of that awful, awful thought...

He was overjoyed when he had managed to convince his friend to participate in the competition.

~– ~ – ~

Even during the following days, however, Daniel had never once agreed to spar with him despite his insistence, even as they trained together for the tournament.

And every time he had refused, that terrible idea would worm his way back into Luka's mind...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, the tournament had started.

When his friend had won his first fight against a soldier, Luka immediately congratulated him.

However, his friend didn't accept his compliments, claiming his opponent was just too weak.

Luka couldn't help but silently pout, unable to argue.

~– ~ – ~

Then his friend had beaten a monster all by himself, and still refused to acknowledge his own accomplishment.

Again, Luka heard the devil's whispers, but would not stop ignoring them.

~– ~ – ~

Finally, Daniel had beaten an opponent even Luka himself was unsure of his own chances against.

And, again, he had refused to acknowledge his own prowess.

This time, Luka couldn't help but finally formulate the thought properly.

Was his friend...

Looking down on him?

Luka knew he was still far from being as strong as he needed.

He wouldn't have blamed Daniel for pointing it out, as Alice always did.

But he couldn't accept the fact his friend didn't trust him to forgive him for it.

Luka's resolve wasn't weak enought that a few words would be enough to bring him down.

And he would only have been happy for his friend if he actually WAS stronger than him.

But this was different.

Luka didn't mind his power being looked down upon.

But he did mind his friend needlessly protecting him from reality.

Because this put them on different levels.

And Luka didn't like that at all, Hero or not.

~– ~ – ~

As Luka saw his friend enter the arena, he had been silent.

As expected,Daniel had immediately tried to forfeit.

Finally, Luka couldn't hold back his doubts anymore.

He had lashed out in rage, scathing words leaving his mouth unbidden, even as he desperately tried to stop himself...

And then, his friend had once more proven his unending loyalty.

Luka was stunned by his comrade's confession.

He realized only later just how much of an idiot he had been.

He vowed to never doubt his great friend again.

~– ~ – ~

When Alice and Daniel had come to warn him about the oncoming fight, Luka did trust both of his comrades' judgement, but he at least wanted to see his opponent with his own eyes.

He only understood later what the strange warning his friend had given him afterwards had meant.

~– ~ – ~

The moment Luka had seen the Succubus Queen enter the arena, he had immediately felt his blood start to boil in his veins.

As the powerful monster had been toying with him, he had dismissed her advice simply out of spite.

How dare she try to make him be like her, after what she had done to Daniel!?

Luka was livid at the monster's dismissal of his friend's pain.

However, surprisingly, Alma Elma hadn't tried to deflect her guilt.

She had instead owned up to it, making Luka think back on Daniel's words after coming back from the Monster Lord's castle.

After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Luka had decided to trust in his friend's intuition.

He was not disappointed, despite the Succubus' frustratingly fickle personality...

Still, his friend had shown his amazing insight yet again.

Even if Luka did not quite agree with his self-evaluation as they left town some time later...

That would still be something to work on in the future.

~– ~ – ~

For a time, all had seemed perfect after that.

Daniel seemingly had opened up even more, both with him and with Alice, appearing a lot more relaxed in their presence.

He had even challenged her to a snowball fight!

Luka had been so stunned by his friend's sheer guts in facing the Monster Lord herself, that he hadn't been able to say a word, even as the two of them blurred forward out of his sight, throwing white projectiles at one another and laughing all the way.

~– ~ – ~

The sudden snowstorm had taken Luka by surprise, his energy exhausted by the fight with the Yuki-Onna, and Daniel had once more proven his strength by carrying his unconscious body on his shoulders down the whole mountain.

~– ~ – ~

When Luka had woken up, his friend was there, already offering him something to drink.

Truly, Luka didn't know how to thank Ilias for this wonderful companion...

~– ~ – ~

Even if he was downright terrifying when he was hungry.

Seriously, Luka could swear he had seen a ravenous demon standing behind Daniel for a moment, as the two elves quivered fearfully in front of his food-induced madness.

~– ~ – ~

Thankfully, Daniel had calmed down as soon as he had gotten his hands on some sushi.

Addiction really was a scary thing...

~– ~ – ~

However, Daniel's reaction to the village chief's story had been far more worrisome, as Luka turned to him and noticed his unfeeling expression.

Once more, Luka was reminded of the fact that he still hadn't found an answer as to what his friend's plight had been.

Luka had wanted to talk to him about it, but Tamamo had beaten him to the punch when he was about to ask to join him on his stroll, and Alice had instead dragged him around on her eating spree, making him lose the chance.

~– ~ – ~

That evening, after having dinner at Tamamo's place, Luka noted in his friend the same discomfort once more as he exited the house, leaving him alone with the Kitsune.

~– ~ – ~

After their discussion on Luka's hidden power, the Kitsune had then asked Luka a few basic questions on his friend.

Things like his favourite color, food, the type of women he liked...

However, to his dismay, Luka had been unable to answer almost all of them.

Still, he wanted to respect his friend's privacy, even if he did feel a bit saddened by his lack of confidence with him...

~– ~ – ~

As the young men of the village surrounded Luka with intent to harm him, Luka was keenly aware of their lack of strength.

However, he had not wanted to hurt them, despite his disapproval of both their goal and methods, so he had hesitated for a moment.

In that instant, his friend had intervened.

Luka's blood had chilled, at the sight of the cold eyes his friend had looked at the young men with.

However, his comrade had solved the situation with but a single even-toned command, instead of violence.

Luka had thanked his friend for his forgivingness, aware that he had held back for his sake.

However, Daniel had instantly denied his argument, stating that he never had held a grudge in the first place.

Luka wanted to argue, to disprove that claim, but his intelligent comrade had immediately closed off all possible routes, so quickly that the young Hero didn't even understand how.

However, Luka would not give up.

One day, he would find a way to make his friend see his own worth...

~– ~ – ~

Luka's heart had stopped, as his comrade mistakenly attracted the attention of Yamata no Orochi.

The young Hero had immediately assaulted his opponent with reckless abandon, desperately wailing on her with all his power in an attempt to make her focus on himself rather than his dear friend.

However, he could not keep the monster fully occupied, as she had sent half her heads towards him.

When the powerful impact had resounded throughout the cave, Luka was frozen for a moment, terrified for his friend's fate.

He could only stare in awe at the crater his comrade had made with the monster's own body.

Seriously, how could he possibly think he was weak after that!?

~– ~ – ~

Luka had sighed in relief seeing his friend safe and sound after the serpent-like monster was sealed.

Then he had stopped for a moment, looking at the Kitsune's dazed expression as Daniel kindly lectured their defeated opponent.

Now that Luka thought about it...

Her behavior towards Daniel had been kind of...!

Oh, Ilias...

Luka decided not to think about it anymore.

After all, it was against the prohibition...

Though Daniel didn't seem to mind that part...

And Luka did want his friend to relax a little...

Wait.

Hadn't Alma Elma once worn a similar expression as well, looking at him?

Luka hadn't thought much of it at the time, but...

Well, this was a conundrum.

~– ~ – ~

As Daniel sped away towards the nearest sushi restaurant before leaving Yamatai for good, Luka had decided to avoid the argument as long as possible.

He really had no idea how to deal with it, after all.

Though he had to admit, it WAS pretty entertaining to watch his friend be so thick-headed...

Even if he felt a little guilty about enjoying it so much.

~– ~ – ~

When they had departed towards Plansect village, Luka was very excited to see what a monster village looked like.

After all, Daniel had lived in a place with multiple monster races as well, so it might have been another chance for him to open up a little more.

However, that hope was dashed as soon as he had met the first group of monsters.

~– ~ – ~

War...

Luka hadn't been sure on what to do about the terrible situation.

He had followed the plant monsters' request believing his friend would correct him if he was wrong.

However, when Luka had addressed his comrade, his stoic expression had given him pause.

Because he once again saw in it the same discomfort his friend had been trying to hide, stronger than ever.

He didn't have time to mull over it, however, as he still had a mission to accomplish.

He had to end this conflict as soon as possible, both for the innocent monsters, and for his friend also.

~– ~ – ~

Unfortunately, however, Luka had indeed made a mistake.

He had believed in the plant monsters' words, and ignored the insect monsters' point of view, as Alice had rightly pointed out.

Luka didn't blame his friend for being disappointed in him...

But he would do his utmost to fix things.

~– ~ – ~

The fight was hard, but in the end, Luka had come out on top.

Only, it didn't feel like victory...

There had been way too many mistakes along the way.

Alice's words had helped Luka find his resolve, but he had still asked his friend for guidance.

He wanted to use it not only for himself, however, but also to help him realize his own worth.

Only, Daniel once again had deflected his attempt perfectly, momentarily turning his attention away from the topic.

~– ~ – ~

Even as they left the forest, his friend had still refused to rely on Luka.

But Luka wasn't going to stop trying.

In fact, he had an idea, inspired by one his comrade's techniques...

His approach so far hadn't worked, true.

His friend always managed to twist his own arguments against him.

However, what if he decided to wait for an opportunity to do so himself instead?

Luka knew his friend's worth, no matter how much Daniel denied it.

All that he needed was one chance to make him see it.

And he would wait for it as long as necessary.

~– ~ – ~

As Luka barely managed to weather the Slime Queen's powerful attack within Undine's Spring, he had inwardly thanked his friend again for his life-saving advice.

Truly, sometimes it seemed like he could predict the future for how good he was at thinking ahead.

Of course, if he truly could do that, he wouldn't ever have been caught by a monster...

Still, his friend's intelligence was both a curse and a blessing for Luka.

He was grateful for all the times it had helped them both, but at the same time it impeded Luka from getting through to his comrade, as he shut down each and every one of his arguments effortlessly.

Every time Luka tried to help his friend, It felt like he was trying to face a Heavenly Knight, only, they both fought with words and logic instead of a blade.

However, while he was growing stronger with his sword, Luka's conversational skills were hardly improving...

He would have to work on that.

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, Luka had started thinking hard on how to do so.

Unfortunately, the results were subpar, as he had gotten both himself and Daniel arrested after destroying the Golem Girl.

Thankfully, his friend had forgiven him for the whole mess, but Luka still had felt terrible about it...

~– ~ – ~

When Daniel had expressed his thoughts on the situation of the monsters in Grangold, Luka had been taken aback at the intensity behind his words.

Regretfully, he had been unable to utter a word in response.

~– ~ – ~

When Luka had declared his intention to defend the inhabitants of Succubus village, Daniel had immediately taken his side, showing his loyalty once more.

Again, however, Luka had been unable to close the distance between them, as his friend walked away after throwing him in Alice's arms.

His back had looked incredibly lonely at that moment, despite his snickering...

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Daniel had bags under his eyes, making Luka even more worried.

Was he not sleeping properly?

Since when?

Luka hadn't noticed anything, but his friend had gotten sick once before, and he hadn't seen it coming that time as well...

For a moment, Luka had thought back to the terrible moment his friend had spoken out about his lifespan in the Pyramid.

He couldn't afford to miss this sort of signals, even if his friend tried to hide them.

When Alice had once more propositioned herself to Daniel, Luka was even tempted to support her for a moment, worried for his comrade's health.

However, he hadn't.

And the relief he had felt from Daniel's second refusal made him feel even more guilty...

~– ~ – ~

When the rebellion had started, Luka had gotten distracted, and only remembered later about his friend's condition.

However, by then, he couldn't say anything to him once more.

~– ~ – ~

Again, his comrade's keen senses had paved the way forward, leading them to the hidden lab under the castle.

Luka would not betray his friend's trust, as he faced the monster Queen in combat.

~– ~ – ~

After the hard battle, Luka had expected Daniel to solve the problem with perfect logic like usual, but instead had found himself on the spot.

Unfortunately, he had completely wasted the opportunity to improve his social skills, barely managing to finish his speech...

His friend's quip had hit close to home that time, even if he himself seemingly hadn't noticed.

~– ~ – ~

When Luka learned about Alice and Daniel's speech to the King, he felt frustrated once again at his own inadequacy.

However, he wouldn't stop trying.

His friend was worth it, and he would prove it, no matter how long it would take.

Even if he was seriously frustrating with his pranks...

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, Luka kept a close eye on his friend's health.

This time, he didn't miss the symptoms.

However, he could do nothing to help, as Daniel utterly refused to slow them down.

All he could do was ensure that his friend got the rest he needed, even if it meant asking Alice for help, as he moved to face the monsters invading the village with all his strength.

~– ~ – ~

Thankfully, Luka could tell Daniel truly was healed the day after, even as he was distracted by the Succubi's shamelessness.

However, something was off about him in the following days.

Luka could tell that his friend's worries had somehow increased, for some undiscernible reason.

Only, he still waited, knowing that it was not time yet, even though he desperately wanted to help his loyal comrade.

~– ~ – ~

When they had reached Lady's village, Luka was too focused on his friend's condition to notice the monsters.

Thankfully, Daniel was always alert, even in his current state.

Luka had faced the hidden monsters of the false village together with his comrade, his assistance proving invaluable despite him barely hurting their enemies himself.

~– ~ – ~

When they had fought against Emily, Daniel's behavior had been puzzling, but Luka knew he was trying to do something good.

And he would support him all the way.

~– ~ – ~

Then, Daniel had acted without hesitation, saving yet another life that had tried to harm him in the process, as Luka could only stare numbly at Cassandra's sheer cruelty.

Luka had used his rage to empower his strikes against the monster, trusting his comrade would come back as soon as he was able to, after bringing Emiliy to safety.

Cassandra, however, was overwhelming.

Luka could barely manage to defend himself from her onslaught, unable to deal satisfying damage to her body.

Then Daniel had joined the fight again, his powerful martial arts techniques breaking through Cassandra's tide of flesh like a raging hurricane.

Unfortunately, however, his kind friend couldn't hurt the monster either, for a different reason...

At that moment, Luka had been tempted to ask his comrade to stop holding back, fully aware of the consequences.

Alice had thankfully intervened before that.

However, Cassandra did still die.

And it was indeed Daniel who gave her the final blow.

Only, unlike how Luka wanted to request earlier, it hadn't been an act of enmity.

In fact, it was the opportunity Luka had been waiting for.

And he would not waste it.

In the few seconds before speaking, Luka's mind had been filled with every kind of argument.

However, he had discarded every logical thought, instead deciding to go with his gut.

After all, he really wasn't suited to thinking things through, unlike his friend.

As Luka had predicted, as soon as it became apparent he had no counterarguments Daniel tried to get away, but Luka would not let go of him this time.

Finally, Luka had felt his friend's body relax in the group hug...

The young Hero had never felt happier and prouder in his whole life.

~– ~ – ~

Even in the following days, Luka could tell his friend was more relaxed than he ever had been.

And the same went for him as well.

However, even as Daniel quipped and laughed harder than ever, unconsciously smiling a lot more, a small nagging feeling never left Luka.

Only, he didn't understand why that was.

I mean, Daniel's problem was already solved... Right?

~– ~ – ~

The trials of the Fire Spirit's volcano had been hard, but Luka had managed to triumph, aided by both his Spirits and his friend, even if Luka did agree with Alice about Daniel's recklessness during the fight with the Dragon.

Granberia's sudden appearance had distracted Luka for a moment, before he noticed his friend's uncomfortable position.

Then, after accepting Granberia's challenge, Luka had given it his all, fully focusing on the fight.

Unfortunately, however, he still had lost.

His body was heavily wounded, and he was sent flying into his comrade's strong arms.

Luka was still unable to talk as Granberia had challenged Daniel as well.

But he had perfectly heard his answer.

And it made him finally realize what that nagging feeling had been about.

Luka had indeed solved a problem.

But there was never only one of them.

And the real underlying issue was still unknown to him...

Luka knew he wasn't back at the starting line or anything.

But he still couldn't help but internally gripe a little at the unexpected setback.

...Oh, well, a Hero's job never truly ended, did it?

~– ~ – ~

After his body had recovered, Luka had paid close attention to his friend's state.

On the surface, he looked the same as always, full of smiles and bad jokes.

But at times, his "mask" had slipped just a little, and in those moments Luka could tell he was still hiding something.

~– ~ – ~

When Luka had questioned his comrade about the Orbs, it was one of these times, and again when Daniel had correctly guessed the location of two out of three of the missing ones.

His reasoning made perfect sense, and it was in line with what they had already seen, but...

~– ~ – ~

Daniel had shown an uncharacteristic nervousness at the news of Sara's presumed kidnapping.

Once more, his logic was sound, but there was more to it...

Maybe it was just because he was worried for Sara?

They did look pretty close...!

Maybe he was trying to hide the fact he had feelings for her?

If so, then maybe Luka could have helped with that...

~– ~ – ~

Once more, Luka had noted his friend's slight discomfort as he gave his opinion on the path to take first.

Again, he couldn't make sense of it, as the logic behind the choice was perfect as always.

~– ~ – ~

As they walked back through Port Natalia, Luka suddenly had a thought.

...Why had his friend requested the Ball of Guidance as a reward?

He hadn't asked for it even once after obtaining it, despite having been the legitimate owner.

They had even passed by another port town, and Daniel didn't even go for a swim then...

Had it all been just a ploy?

But why bother with such subterfuge?

The conversation had deviated elsewhere almost instantly, but even as he processed the deep meaning behind his friend's monologue, Luka didn't forget about the previous topic.

~– ~ – ~

Luka had instinctively heeded Daniel's warning, as he faced an enemy from his past once again, and as usual, it had proven to be the right decision.

Even as his friend played around joyfully in the water all the way down to the first temple, Luka wondered just how good his friend's senses were, for him to be able to predict such an unconventional attack instantly...

~– ~ – ~

When he had noticed his friend's disappearance, Luka panicked for a moment, thinking he might have been taken by another monster of the deep, and afraid that if that was the case, he had no way to find him...

Thankfully, that was not the case, as Daniel had reappeared moments later in the craziest possible way.

Nevertheless, Luka had vowed to be more careful, lest the next time the danger to his comrade became real.

~– ~ – ~

Luka had instantly understood what Poseidoness had meant, when she spoke about Daniel having changed marine law.

He was glad his friend's good intentions had been accepted, and hopeful that maybe this would help him feel better.

Unfortunately, his comrade didn't seem especially proud of his accomplishment, though Luka could tell he did know the meaning behind the monster Queen's words as well.

He just was too modest for his own good...

~– ~ – ~

Luka had noted the pang of pain in Daniel's eyes as he was entering Selena's house.

...Maybe it was similar to his own in some way?

It could have been that he was just homesick, having been away from home for so long.

He probably missed his family, too...

Luka knew he likely would have been the same as well, if he had any family left himself.

~– ~ – ~

During the few days of navigation towards Captain Selene's ship, Luka did notice his friend's nervousness, even as he tried to hide it.

He didn't seem to have a problem with the crew being pirates, but maybe he was feeling a bit shy because they were all beautiful young women?

Luka did see some of the pirates look at his friend with interest, as they trained together on the deck of the ship, though Daniel himself seemed strangely unaware of it...

~– ~ – ~

Luka was grateful for his friend's support, as they boarded the ancient ghost ship together.

As always, his loyalty proved unshakeable, despite his hidden troubles.

And he always was correct in his judgement, letting Luka fight alone and gain as much experience as he could whenever possible.

~– ~ – ~

Though, of course, Daniel could also be trusted to intervene if it became necessary, as he had proven by storming into the fight with the Queen of Flies, his powerful martial arts effectively turning the battle around completely, while also impeding Alice from having to act herself.

Then Daniel had effortlessly captured the sealed monsters inside an ingeniously improvised prison, his subsequent words meant to both assuage Alice and Luka's worries and make the monsters reflect on their way of life, following a logic that was perfectly tailor-made to achieve both objectives.

Seriously, it was like Daniel always knew exactly what he had to say to everyone he ever met in order to make their lives better!

Luka couldn't help but feel proud having such a Heroic friend.

Plus, his pranks WERE amusing sometimes, as long as you weren't their target...

~– ~ – ~

Luka hadnt' said anything about Daniel's concealed nervousness, as they moved towards Sabasa, opting instead to try and move as quickly as he could in order to assuage his friend's worries as soon as possible.

In his mind, the theory about Daniel being in love with Sara only grew more plausible with every hurried step, making the young Hero worry even more for his comrade's feelings.

After all, Sara was already in love with Granberia... Right?

~– ~ – ~

Again, the King of Sabasa had taken his friend to a different room to speak in private, and when they had come back, the King had looked a lot more relaxed than before.

Luka could guess what their discussion had been about, and he would do all he could to support his comrade as he always had done for him.

~– ~ – ~

As expected of him, Daniel had skillfully managed to sneak by the two monster Queens, easily liberated the captive princess, and safely moved her away from the fighting, before engaging the Queen Elf himself.

Even as he struggled against his own opponent, Luka was awed at his friend's power, as he had kept avoiding the Queen Elf's attacks, and had even broken out of her magical restraints with strength comparable to Luka's own when empowered by Gnome, all the while holding a friendly conversation with his adversary instead of striking back.

Luka had instantly understood that his friend was waiting for him, unwilling to harm the monster Queen, even as she was trying to kill him.

He would not let him down.

~– ~ – ~

They had fought together against the powerful monster Queen, his comrade's help proving invaluable as always, as Luka endured the enemy's strikes for his friend and retaliated with all his power.

Finally, they had brought the monster Queen to her knees, but it was not over just yet.

Even after his comrade's swift intervention, Sara's monster blood had awoken.

When Daniel had requested Luka to bring the weakened Queen to safety, Luka had been worried for a moment, but the resolve in his friend's eyes was apparent, and Luka would do all he could to help his comrade save the woman he loved.

~– ~ – ~

As Daniel stopped him from advancing, after his return, Luka once again had trusted his friend's judgement.

Unfortunately, it seemed like despite his comrade's efforts, Sara still needed help to overcome her monsterization-induced lust...

Though it did seem like she probably reciprocated his friend's feelings, at least on some level...

In any other situation, Daniel would probably have been very happy about her trying to get intimate with him, Luka bet.

Anyway, the young Hero wouldn't let his comrade's embarrassment go to waste, as he used Sara's distraction to finish the fight.

His friend really was too modest for his own good though, giving him all the credit...

How was he planning to get closer to Sara like that?

Maybe he did need some help...?

~– ~ – ~

Just as Luka had been thinking on how to assist him in that objective, the princess had been taken hostage again, Luka glancing at Daniel's shocked face for a moment, inwardly lambasting himself for his own carelessness.

The young Hero had panicked for a moment, as he couldn't think of a way to help save his friend's love...

Then, Granberia had suddenly appeared again.

And Luka's mind was blown, as he noticed the blush on her face as she looked towards Daniel.

No way...

Just...

I mean, his friend was great, sure, but ALL of them!?

Oh, Ilias...

As Luka was stlll stunned by the realization, he was too slow to react to Granberia's swing against the Queen Elf, and watched in horror as his friend appeared in its path.

However, against all expectation, Daniel had actually taken the full brunt of the Heavenly Knight's blow almost completely unharmed, despite his gauntlets shattering.

Luka just stared in awe at his comrade's courage and physical resilience both, infinitely glad for the latter.

Even as Sara managed to persuade Granberia to stop attacking, however, Luka noticed something was amiss in his friend's behavior.

Daniel didn't seem particularly concerned about Sara anymore, nor did he look angry at the Heavenly Knight for almost harming her, and for actually destroying the Gauntlets Luka knew his friend had loved so much...!

...Maybe Luka had misunderstood?

Just maybe...

Was it not Sara that his friend liked, but rather...!

No, Luka suddenly realized.

It was never about his friend's feelings for the two women.

This was simply Daniel being himself.

He hadn't acted for the sake of his own love, he genuinely had just wanted to help in making everyone involved happy.

From the beginning, he had never been aiming to get closer to Sara at all, only wanting to help a friend in need instead.

Luka felt immensely proud once more about having such a friend.

However, there was one thing that bugged the young Hero a little...

Why was it that his friend seemingly never noticed about others having special feelings towards him?

Luka knew Daniel was incredibly observant, so much so that the Monster lord herself was impressed by his ability to read people.

How was it possible that he could miss such an obvious detail?

No matter how long Luka thought about it, he just couldn't understand...

But he instinctively knew there was more to it than simple obliviousness.

And whatever it was, it wasn't good.

~– ~ – ~

Distracted by his own thoughts, Luka had actually completely missed Daniel's physical condition worsening in the following days.

How could he have been so stupid!?

He had known that, despite his resilience, his comrade's health was never that good, but he had neglected to keep an eye on him once again!

An entire month spent training every single night...

Luka knew his friend was foolhardy at times, but even he had a limit, and this was way past it!

How had Daniel even missed such an important detail in the first place, despite all the books he had read...?

Even Luka had heard about monsters needing to sleep regularly, despite the strongest ones being capable of forgoing that for days if needed.

It had been part of his education as provided by the sacred texts of Ilias, in order to prepare Heroes for facing various monsters.

And then there was the way Daniel had reacted to hearing Hero Heinrich's story back on Ilias continent, almost seeming like he had never heard it before...

Luka knew his friend did not worship Ilias, but this was still just common knowledge.

Something was amiss...

But for the life of him, Luka couldn't figure out what.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Luka had trusted Daniel when he had said he was going to be alright.

He was still a bit worried, but his friend wouldn't lie to him... Right?

~– ~ – ~

Luka had done his utmost in order to control his own feelings as he faced Lazarus again, like his friend had taught him.

However, once more, it was not enough.

Even Luka himself didn't know whether or not he would've thrust his blade in the horrible man's heart without Alice's intervention.

And his friend had silently overlooked the scene without saying a word, restraining himself for his sake...

Luka didn't blame Daniel for being disappointed in him...

~– ~ – ~

Or at least so he had thought.

However, reality was different.

Even as Alice acted as shamelessly as usual (to Luka's secret happiness) while Daniel ran away from the awkwardness, Luka couldn't help but feel moved by both of his comrades' loyalty...

And he would do all that he could to repay them for their support, no matter what.

~– ~ – ~

Luka was emboldened by his friends' presence, as they finally moved toward the last continent.

He had even managed to finally access the power of Salamander!

Together with his comrades, he had felt unstoppable.

~– ~ – ~

However, he had gotten cocky...

And once again, it was his friend that had paid the price for it.

Luka was mortified, as it had been the first time Daniel had ever gotten mad at him for real, visibly trembling in fear and fury.

And, of course, he couldn't argue against the fact that his intelligent comrade was completely right in his assessment of the risk he had put himself through.

Indeed, Luka's life did not belong to him alone.

He had no right to risk it as he had.

This, however, would be the last time, Luka vowed.

He wouldn't allow his friends to be harmed by his failings ever again.

~– ~ – ~

As they investigated the ruins of the slaughtered village, Luka had kept a close eye on Daniel's condition.

However, that was all he could do.

He didn't know how to help his friend, as he himself had not received any help in overcoming his repulsion for dead bodies...

Then the strange monsters had attacked, and Luka had to temporarily focus on their survival instead.

~– ~ – ~

The young Hero almost had a heart attack when he noticed the blood on his comrade's clothes, and was immensely relieved when he had understood Daniel was not its original owner.

Unfortunately, however, Luka still had no idea what to say to his friend, as the kind soul he was mourned even the mindless beast who had tried to murder him.

~– ~ – ~

They had fought together against the terrifying plant monster, Daniel's support as perfect as always.

Then they had found the Angel feather, and Luka could not make sense of either of his comrades' reaction.

However, one thing was for sure.

Daniel was still hiding something.

And whatever it was, it was hurting him.

Luka would not stand for it, as it would go against his vow.

But even as he offered his support, he knew that his loyal comrade wouldn't let him slow down on his Hero's journey, especially so close to its end.

So there was only one thing Luka could do.

Finish the journey as fast as possible, in order to then help his friend.

And when the time came, he swore he wouldn't fail him again.

* * *

Part 2: Alice

As the Monster Lord was about to finally return to her own castle, she once again steeled her resolve to do what needed to be done, even at the cost of her own morality.

However, she still couldn't help but kep stealing glances at both the Hero she had raised to help her achieve her mother's dream, and at the human she feared the most in the entire world, thinking back on everything the latter had done to earn such a position in her heart.

~– ~ – ~

Just when Alice had thought the human would lay low for a while and let her have some space to organize her thoughts after their clash of wits, he had startled her with his extreme reaction at the mention of Yamatai's delicacies.

She didn't even realize that he had put his hands on her until a few seconds after he had released her.

Again, she had been completely unable to resist the terrifying human.

~– ~ – ~

That evening, Alice had decided to offer Daniel one of the Shadow Dancers' many lethal techniques.

Her purpose was twofold: First, she would be giving him the means to defend himself, in an attempt to prevent him from ever asking for her help in combat.

She knew she would not be able to refuse him if he did.

Second, it would serve as yet another test of his character.

Depending on how he used this new power, Alice might have been able to regain her freedom from the wonderfully comfortable bindings the human had put on her.

However, her scheme had been stopped in its tracks instantly.

Was this his true self, or had he just correctly guessed her intentions?

As always, Alice couldn't tell...

However, was it truly so bad to be selfish if one still helped others be happy?

At first glance it seemed to be a contradiction, but in reality it made sense, even if it still was a twisted reasoning.

Only, there was no way for Alice to tell if these thoughts were truly part of Daniel's beliefs.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Alice had expected the human to test out his new technique in combat like he had done the first time.

Instead, he had let the fake Hero take every enemy by himself in order to let him gain some experience with the power of the earth.

Again, she hadn't been able to tell if it was a selfish or selfless act.

~– ~ – ~

When Daniel had expressed his interest in fighting at the Coliseum instead, Alice had no clue about his motives.

She did, however note his reluctance, both about the Coliseum itself and about sparring with the fake Hero.

Only then did she notice she had forgotten to propose such a thing herself during her lessons.

She had always been used to training alone, and therefore had not thought of such an arrangement earlier.

However, she had no idea why Daniel had refused either.

She was keenly aware of his capabilities, and they were in no way inferior to Luka's by that point, though his unarmed fighting style WAS a disadvantage in front of a swordsman's reach.

So Daniel had lied...

But why was that?

Even as he deflected Luka's every attempt to change his mind, Alice decided to quietly observe the human.

This could have been a chance for her after all.

~– ~ – ~

Alice could tell Daniel truly felt at ease inside the monster-filled town, though he didn't show much of a reaction.

Still, it was worth noting.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, as they sat in the Coliseum's stands, Alice once more reaffirmed her assessment of the human's sharp intuition.

How was she supposed to outwit someone that perceptive...?

Then, Just as Alice had formulated that thought, the fake Hero had seemingly managed to win an argument against him.

What...?

How!?

What had he done that she hadn't!?

Wait...

Had this been part of Daniel's plans as well!?

Just what was his aim...?

~– ~ – ~

When Daniel had come back from the local blacksmith with his new gauntlets, Alice's blood had chilled for a moment, as she noticed just how similar they were to the Shadow Dancers' weapon of choice, despite their much less lethal shape, lacking in sharp edges and poisoned points.

Had he figured out her lie?

Or maybe he even had always known about them?

Of course, she couldn't ask him that...

~– ~ – ~

As she observed Daniel's fights in the Coliseum, Alice had noticed a few more things about him.

First, he truly hadn't seemed to enjoy being there.

Second, he lacked in fighting experience still, as he had let his opponents make the first move every time.

Third, he had always tried to finish his battles as quickly as possible, but held back whenever he could and always checked his opponent's state before leaving the field.

Fourth, he seemingly did not care what the crowd thought of him.

Fifth...

He was strong.

Even more than she had anticipated.

Of course, he was still far weaker than herself, but his speed of growth was abnormally fast.

Was he still hiding his true power...?

~– ~ – ~

When Alice noticed both Luka and Daniel standing in the arena, she had no idea what would happen.

She had considered various possibilities, but still couldn't tell what the human's motive was, and therefore didn't know what to expect, the Fake Hero's reaction making her worry even more.

She definitely hadn't seen Daniel's sudden confession coming, however.

She could only listen in befuddlement at the powerful emotions his words contained, and she could tell for once, that he was being completely sincere.

Only, she still had a hard time believing it.

~– ~ – ~

When Daniel had come to sit with her, she had still been in a daze, and had automatically acquiesced to his request for some space.

Then she had dared to ask the question she should have asked a long time before.

Did he truly feel affection for her and Luka?

She needed to know.

Even if she knew she wouldn't have been able to leave regardless...

The answer she heard was simple and clear.

But the feelings behind it weren't.

And neither were her own thoughts on the matter...

Alice could tell that, indeed, Daniel DID care.

But if that was the case, why had he said those things back in the Safaru Ruins...?

Now that Alice thought about it, it brought him no benefit to do so in the first place.

Even if he didn't truly feel affection for them, exposing his plans was a stupid move, as it gave her a chance to foil them, while she had none before that.

But if he did care, it still made no sense for him to purposefully distance himself from them like that.

Unless...

That was his aim in the first place.

But why would he need to do that?

This was possibly the biggest piece of the puzzle Alice had gotten yet.

In fact, she felt like she was closer than ever to understanding the strange human.

She had decided to think more about it later, however, as the fake Hero was about to face a fight he could not win once again.

~– ~ – ~

Then, as Luka's opponent finally noticed Daniel's presence on the stands, Alice's train of thought completely derailed.

...Just what had the crazy human done to Alma Elma for her to blush like that at the mere sight of him!?

She was the Queen Succubus, for the First's sake, not some shy schoolgirl!

Nevermind, the absurd human still was just incomprehensible after all...

~– ~ – ~

When she was hit by the human's first snowball on the way to Yamatai, Alice was stunned for a moment.

She had instinctively retaliated right after, but not out of malice, simply losing herself in mindless enjoyment.

Snow really was so much fun...

~– ~ – ~

After finally regaining her composure, the inexplicable human had made her lose it instantly once again with his absurd claim of having better senses than even a Spirit...

Seriously, what the hell even WAS he!?

Alice had just felt like giving up at that point...

~– ~ – ~

When they had found the fake Hero stranded in the blizzard Daniel had immediately taken charge, and she had followed his instructions.

She knew that arguing would just have made things worse, and he did take the toughest job carying the fake Hero down the mountain, so she had known he didn't mean anything by it.

~– ~ – ~

...So he liked cats as well, huh?

~– ~ – ~

Even though she would never admit it, Alice had felt a chill down her spine as well when the frightening human had temporarily gone insane from hunger.

She idly wondered where he had tried Yamatai's unique specialties before.

She was just a tad envious about it...

~– ~ – ~

Even Tamamo seemingly couldn't figure out the incomprehensible human at first glance, huh...?

Wait a minute...

Was that...

A blush?

No way...

Just what the hell had happened in her castle!?

Forget it, she would ask Tamamo herself about it later.

She was too busy eating her delicious offerings at the moment.

She understood why the human was so addicted to them...

~– ~ – ~

Alice had startled when she noticed the cold expression on the human's face after hearing the Chief's request.

Just what had happened to him to have such an extreme reaction...?

He still seemed lucid as well, but she could feel no emotion at all behind his words.

It was like looking at a dead person moving...

For a moment, Alice couldn't help but be reminded of her own self after her mother's passing...

~– ~ – ~

All she could do was try to provide some distraction, both for him and for herself.

However, the human had had other ideas, and Tamamo had opted to follow him.

Alice had decided to trust her old mentor, knowing that if there was anyone capable of helping him, that was her.

However, that didn't mean she couldn't get in her way a bit as well.

She didn't really have a problem with Daniel being with someone else, as she didn't really have any romantic feelings for him, but Kitsunes were still annoying...

Plus, the old monster's cooking was great anyway.

~– ~ – ~

After digesting her meal, Alice had spoken with Tamamo about Daniel once more, the old monster finally recounting what the human had done inside her castle.

It still hardly made any sense to Alice, but she at least understood he had indeed managed to read the situation perfectly and solve it without hesitation.

Although how he had managed to capture the heart of not one, but two of the four strongest monsters under her command in the process was still a mistery to her...

Either way, she didn't plan on interfering.

She wasn't really worried about any of them anyways...

~– ~ – ~

That evening, Alice had felt a chill again at Daniel's cold command to the perverts of the village.

However, it wasn't out of fear of him.

Rather it was yet another reminder of her past.

Just what had he lost...?

~– ~ – ~

When Daniel had mistakenly attracted the attention of Yamata no Orochi, Alice had half-expected him to call out to her for help.

She didn't think he could actually sense her when she was hiding her aura with the most powerful concealment spell she knew, despite his ridiculous senses, but he probably knew she was around regardless.

However, he had instead opted to defend himself as much as he could.

And, indeed, he was capable of it, if only for a few moments.

It had only been a few days after the tournament, his improvement was truly something...

Though, of course, if Tamamo hadn't intervened it wouldn't have been enough.

~– ~ – ~

Even as he lectured the sealed monster, Alice was wondering just how powerful the human would get...

Perhaps he could even have...

Probably not, considering his personality...

But the possibility was there...

Alice had sighed, temporarily dismissing her thoughts.

~– ~ – ~

...Wait, had Daniel just casually pet Tamamo's head?

Was that intentional...?

If so, he was actually pretty smooth...

Again, Alice's curiosity about his taste grew a little.

Though she still had no plans to act on it without his consent of course.

~– ~ – ~

...Wait a minute, he seriously hadn't noticed Tamamo's feelings?

That was unlike him...

He usually could read people like open books, how could he possibly miss such a major detail?

Yet, it truly seemed like he had.

Now that she thought about it, he had looked confused about Alma Elma's reaction as well...

What did this mean?

Alice had no idea.

But she instinctively knew it was yet another huge piece of the human's puzzle.

~– ~ – ~

Alice herself had been worried about the state of Plansect village.

She wasn't fully aware of the happenings there, but she had heard enough to know about the war.

She had expected the fake Hero to act as he had, and had decided it would be a good lesson for him.

However, Daniel's reaction had been a lot more mysterious.

In fact, Alice couldn't make sense of it at first.

He was usually a lot more open with his thoughts on matters like this...

Especially when it came to helping Luka.

This sudden silence was worrisome, for many reasons.

~– ~ – ~

After much internal deliberation, Alice decided to make an attempt to pry.

She just couldn't think of any other way to proceed.

The answers she received were brief, but not light.

They were heavy with wisdom and kindness.

But were also filled with conflict and guilt.

And for the life of her, Alice couldn't figure out why.

~– ~ – ~

She still hadn't understood, even as she watched Daniel enter the battlefield and save as many lives as he could, keeping a neutral expression all the while, hiding his heart from the world.

~– ~ – ~

It was only as they left the forest that Alice finally realized, her blood freezing in her veins for a moment...

Daniel had once again predicted everything.

From the start, he had thought the same thoughts as hers about the lesson she wanted to teach Luka.

Only, he was different from her.

She had been able to feel justified knowing that she couldn't stop the conflict herself.

But he could have.

He had read the situation perfectly from the very beginning, and was in a position to end the war on his own.

It would have been enough to break the monsters' will to fight, and she knew he was most likely entirely capable of it, perhaps even without violence.

Only, he had prioritized helping his friend instead of strangers, like anyone else would have.

And he felt guilty for his perceived selfishness, like he always did...

Alice had hidden the shiver that ran down her spine at that moment.

She just didn't know what to do.

She wanted to help Daniel, aware that the debt she still owed him was ever so heavy.

But just how was she supposed to overcome such overwhelming despair, protected as it was by the human's unbreakable fortress of twisted logic?

~– ~ – ~

Even as Daniel walked away from her, leaving her to wait alone for the fake Hero's return from Undine's Spring, Alice was deep in thought.

She was once again attempting to simulate a possible conversation with Daniel.

Only, this time, she knew better than to underestimate him.

And every time, her mental rehearsals ended in the same way.

Her complete and utter defeat.

Even within her own mind, his defenses were unassailable, his deadly word-traps refined to perfection.

Ever since becoming the Monster Lord, Alice had never felt so overwhelmed by a single opponent before.

Even the stupid Goddess had taken a heavy hit from her, despite her subsequent defeat.

But Daniel's logic felt like a completely invulnerable defense.

~– ~ – ~

In the end, Alice was forced to keep up the exercise in futility, even as she discussed other matters with the fake Hero...

~– ~ – ~

She only noticed later that she had unconsciously been following Daniel around as Luka fought off the monsters attacking him on the way to Grangold.

She really hadn't meant anything by it, she had just hoped to gleam an more information she could use in order to help him.

However, no answer was forthcoming...

~– ~ – ~

That being the case, she decided to focus on training Luka for the moment.

She hadn't expected Daniel to ask her for a new technique as well, however.

It was not a particularly unreasonable request, as he was indeed ready for it.

Only, this was the first time Daniel had ever come to her with a plea for power...

Something had changed, but Alice had no idea what.

Regardless, she had decided to acquiesce, providing Daniel with a skill that suited his requirements.

As always, he had instantly analyzed its possible uses, even going so far as predicting the effect it might have on different opponents.

Why was it that his combat reasoning was so high-leveled despite his utter lack of experience on the battlefield prior to their meeting?

If Alice didn't know better, she would have assumed him to be an expert warrior sometimes...

~– ~ – ~

Of course, it was harder NOT to believe that, as the human kept showing off his impossibly well-honed intuition, easily exposing her previous lies.

And, as usual, she just couldn't understand why he was so forgiving towards her...

For a moment she had even considered the possibility he held romantic feelings for her...

But she had dismissed the thought as soon as she looked him in the eyes and remembered him calling her a sister of all things.

...No, it wasn't about her, she realized.

This was just Daniel being himself.

Even if he likely did not think of it that way.

To him, forgiveness was his duty.

Because he always considered himself to be beneath others due to his perceived selfishness.

Even if she knew that, however, she still didn't know how to prove him wrong.

~– ~ – ~

Alice could not say a word to Daniel during the whole Grangold debacle, even as she watched him barely hold back his fury at the horrible treatment her cute subordinates were receiving.

~– ~ – ~

That evening, she had tried to distract herself as well, but even as she enjoyed the fake Hero's company she was still keeping up her simulations in the back of her mind.

Of course, there were no positive results.

~– ~ – ~

She had offered Daniel the same thing she had done for the fake Hero again the day after, as she hadn't been able to think of anything else to make him feel better.

However, he still had refused in the same polite way as before.

Alice had to admit it was just a tad frustrating to be rejected, even if she didn't feel that way towards him.

Regardless, she had gotten distracted by the city erupting in chaos, and had let the matter drop.

~– ~ – ~

As expected, Daniel's keen senses had easily led them to the hidden lab.

Alice could tell he was frustrated at being unable to help Luka in the oncoming fight against Queen Ant, but again, she coudn't say anything in front of his logic.

Of course, he had also seen through her own plan...

~– ~ – ~

Daniel had flawlessly supported Alice's arguments to the King, aware that his words would have had less weight than a monster's in that situation.

And, again, he had done the same for Luka's words to both rulers right after, despite his own feelings on the matter being so strong.

He had then proceeded to dismiss his own efforts like nothing, letting them both take credit.

Again, Alice hadn't been able to stop him from harming himself.

~– ~ – ~

Even his speech on empathy had managed to fit in with his own logic while still sounding encouraging.

Just what could Alice do against such an impenetrable, ever-raised guard...?

~– ~ – ~

As they neared Succubus village, Daniel had gotten sick again but still pushed himself not to slow them down.

Even his own health was being put at risk by his attitude.

~– ~ – ~

It was all Alice could do to protect his sleep from the Succubi...

However, she still couldn't defend him from himself.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, once again, Alice was refused.

~– ~ – ~

When they had reached Cassandra's lair, Alice had purposefully made her presence known, trying to protect both of the humans with her authority since she could not do it in any other way.

However, she had failed to account for Daniel's perceptiveness and Luka's stubbornness.

~– ~ – ~

She had once more observed both humans' marked improvement in fighting ability, as they faced against the hunters in their own grounds.

However, she knew it would not be enough against her mother's old enemy.

~– ~ – ~

As expected, even after Daniel's intervention, the fight was still unwinnable for the fake Hero.

Finally, Alice hadn't been able to bear to just watch anymore.

She was thankful she at least had a good excuse to act that time.

But she knew, deep down, that it was unneeded.

She still tried to act like that wasn't the case, as she had her own objective to keep in mind.

It had been easy for her to resolve herself to end the cruel monster attacking her...

She already had her own sin anyway, what was one more life?

However, once again, Daniel had completely read Alice's intentions, and since he knew he could not stop Cassandra from passing, he had instead taken the burden of her death from her.

However, that wasn't the only thing he had stolen from her...

He had also deprived her of all will to oppose him or his logic in any way ever again, imprisoning her in his all too comfortable chains of selflessness.

And to Alice's horror, his plan had worked perfectly.

She had despaired, as she had fallen for the human's scheme, and was now completely at his mercy, unable of even wanting to break free...

And, worst of all, incapable of fulfilling her mother's wish.

At least, until Luka had done the impossible.

Alice had watched in a daze, as the fake Hero destroyed the twisted fortress of logic holding her with nothing but the most absolute truth, breaking her bindings and returning her stolen burden.

She had barely managed to maintain her facade afterwards, but still followed the Hero's lead, trusting in his strategy to attain ultimate victory.

She was not disappointed.

Once again, Alipheese the 16th had steeled her resolve.

She would do what had to be done.

Both for them...

And for her dear mother.

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, Alice did her best to prepare the two humans for the trials ahead.

They still needed to become much stronger in order to achieve their dream, after all...

~– ~ – ~

Unfortunately, even as their strength grew, their recklessness never changed...

And neither did Daniel's prankster nature, apparently.

Alice would never admit she actually found that particular trait to be endearing.

Of course, it didn't mean she wouldn't retaliate.

She had her dignity as the Monster Lord to defend, after all.

~– ~ – ~

...Seriously?

Her too?

Alice didn't even bother questioning how even a warrior like Granberia that lived only for the sword had seemingly fallen for the impossible human as well.

She just acknowledged it and moved on.

It really was none of her business anyway...

~– ~ – ~

As Alice observed Luka's fight against her subordinate, she had in fact wondered how Daniel would fare against the Dragon-kin himself.

It didn't really surprise her when Granberia challenged him as well, after beating down the fake Hero.

Neither did his negative response...

At least at first.

However, the more Granberia insisted, the more Alice started feeling something off about Daniel's reaction.

Was he ever this confrontational?

Somehow, it didn't seem quite right...

He was still the same as always inside, Alice could tell.

But for some reason, his usually aloof self seemed to be ablaze with abnormally intense emotions in that moment.

Alice had no idea why that was.

However, one thing was for certain.

Daniel was still hiding something.

~– ~ – ~

Even as she listened to Daniel's encouraging speech, the fake Hero sleeping peacefully on his bed, Alice had felt the human's concealed discomfort.

This time However, she hadn't been able to help him.

Not because she couldn't have...

But because she was too scared to.

He had already managed to bind her once.

And if not for Luka, she would never have escaped.

She knew if she was ever captured again, she would once more become unable to fulfill her mother's wish.

And that thought was more terrifying than anything else to her...

Even compared to the guilt she still felt for her own inaction.

Truly, hers was an existence steeped in sin...

It was best for everyone if she did not tarry on in this world longer than she had to.

No matter how much her heart longed for it...

And for Luka.

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, Alice had tried to ignore the human's discomfort, but she couldn't help but notice the signs regardless, even as she did her best to distract herself wth enjoyable things, such as food and "food"...

~– ~ – ~

When they had reached Port Natalia a third time, Alice had spoken without thinking, only wanting to help in the singular way she knew she could not become emotionally invested in enough for him to trap her again.

After his renewed refusal, Alice hadn't missed the human's attempt at misdirection, but she purposefully hadn't called him out on it.

~– ~ – ~

As the Queen of the Northern Seas thanked the human for his contribution to their laws, Alice once again had stayed silent, even as he himself had dismissed his own achievement like usual.

~– ~ – ~

She hadn't been able to do the same as Daniel had recklessly endangered himself by willingly hearing the Siren's song.

For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if he had done that on purpose in order to force her to make a move, fully aware she was unable to read his intentions, even as he could read hers like an open book.

Regardless she once again had steeled her resolve afterwards.

Next time, she would not allow herself to waver

~– ~ – ~

Of course, just when she had thought that, the fake Hero had to encounter the powerful ancient monsters Alice's own ancestor had to seal.

And right after she had resigned herself to having to take two more lives, hoping this may make it easier for both of the humans to accept her just end later, Daniel had once again intervened and completely stopped her plan in its tracks.

Alice had lamented her own powerlessness in front of the impossible human's seemingly absolute insight, only able to hope he hadn't seen through her real aim just yet.

Of course, it was hard to tell, seeing as he always hid himself behind those irritatingly endearing terrible jokes of his...

~– ~ – ~

It wasn't really a surprise to Alice when Daniel's concerns about the human princess' kidnapping being real were proven right.

After all, his intuition had yet to fail on anyone other than himself...

~– ~ – ~

It was during the struggle aganst the two monster Queens that Alice first noticed something was amiss.

She was keenly aware of Daniel's current level of skill.

It should have been possible for him to dodge the Queen Elf's attacks, and even before that, he could have acted earlier in order to rescue the hostage before the ritual could start for real.

However, he seemingly hadn't been able to.

Not only that, but the way he actually fought was uncharacteristically crude and brutish, relying on his body's might and unique immunities rather than his usual techniques.

Then, he had seemingly spaced out and let the Queen Elf recapture the princess, and Alice became fully convinced something was wrong with him.

However, she would not allow herself to intervene this time.

Besides, Daniel was both strong and smart, he didn't actually need her help... Right?

~– ~ – ~

That absolute idiot!

Just what the hell had he been thinking!?

Alice didn't even notice she had broken her own vow once again until after she was done yelling, having been too preoccupied lambasting the impossible human for his utter stupidity.

In truth, she had been generous with her estimate of his condition, as she had lied that he should have been in a coma while instead any monster, even she, normally would not have survived without sleeping for two to three weeks at most.

...Just what the hell was he even!?

And how in the world had he not known something so basic as the reason monsters sleep in the first place!?

...Wait.

How COULD he not have known...?

Even if his mother possibly never had mentioned it herself, that sort of thing was supposed to be common knowledge regardless.

Not only that, but given his varied and exhaustive academic background he should definitely have read about it somewhere.

Something wasn't right...

And then there was that moment again, when he had looked away from her as he spoke about his mother.

Just what was he hiding...?

No.

No more.

She couldn't let herself be dragged in again.

She had to be strong this time, for her mother's dream.

~– ~ – ~

Just when she had thought she finally could have some time to steel her heart and make some distance between them, the inexplicable one had once again subverted her predictions and made an impossibly quick recovery...

He was just so irritating!

~– ~ – ~

Again, Alice couldn't help but notice Daniel's discomfort, as the man she herself had crippled and almost killed recounted his story to the fake Hero.

She still couldn't understand why he hadn't said a word the whole time.

But she would not ask.

She would only take the opportunity to guide her Hero towards their shared goal.

That was what she had to do.

Even at the cost of her own tainted soul.

~– ~ – ~

It was as Luka fainted in her arms, after the one time she would ever concede herself to indulge in her deepest desires, that Alice's mind suddenly came up with the only possible way she could completely cut every trace of the bindings Daniel had put on her.

For a moment, she was just stunned by the sudden realization.

Then, unheard by the unconscious Hero, the Monster Lord had laughed a loud, malicious laugh fitting of her own evilness, any tears forcefully repressed.

She knew she had no right to ever shed any again, considering what she would do...

~– ~ – ~

In the following days it had been easier for Alice to ignore her own feelings.

The Monster Lord had no need for compassion.

She would carry out her predecessor's will, no matter what.

It was simply her duty...

* * *

Part 3: Ilias

Even as her Hero neared the end of his journey, the Goddess was smiling madly at the thought of the innumerable pains she would inflict on both the damnable woman and the thief that had dared to steal him from her.

She had suffered so much because of him, and she would repay every single bit of it a hundredfold!

Even as she thought so, however, her mind couldn't help but run back to the time she still hadn't figured out his true motives...

~– ~ – ~

No matter what she did, Ilias hadn't been able to get her headache to subside.

It had been the same ever since the dangerous one had revealed his true colors.

However, she still was a Goddess.

And the dangerous one was still unaware she knew of him.

She would crush him like the ant he truly was compared to her when the time came.

Until then, she would sit back and make use of him to protect HER Luka.

He was far more important than the dangerous one anyway...

And she could use her scrying spell to look for the dangerous one's weaknesses as well.

Two birds with one stone.

So, the Goddess had observed quietly as HER Luka's group moved out of the desert.

~– ~ – ~

...Was food already revealed as one of his weak points?

Perhaps she could have arranged for some poison...

No, it was far too obvious.

She knew the dangeorus one was far smarter than he made himself appear...

Such a simple trick would never work on a snake like him.

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had narrowed her eyes in confusion at the dangerous one's refusal to learn the Shadow Lance technique.

She had instantly understood his goal when the damnable woman instead offered him an even more advanced move.

Such cunning...

Truly, he was far more dangerous than he appeared.

~– ~ – ~

The following day, a sneaking suspicion made its way in the Goddess' mind, as the dangerous one kept out of HER Luka's fights.

His reasoning had seemed sound, and she did want HER Luka to grow stronger, but was it a coincidence that just when she had decided to gather information on his fighting abilities he had stopped entering the battlefield himself?

When he mentioned he would instead fight in the Coliseum, the Goddess' mind was still on edge, but she had ultimately dismissed the notion, knowing her scrying spell to be undetectable.

However, she was curious as well...

Why HAD the dangerous one refused to spar with HER luka?

He would obviously lose, but...

Wait a minute...

Would he?

She had always dismissed his strength as nonexistent, despite his hidden dangerousness but was that true?

She would have to make sure.

Truly, he was cunning...

But Ilias still held the advantage.

It was then that the Goddess had decided to provide Promestein with every bit of data she could get on the dangerous one's fighting capabilities.

She was looking forward to seeing his face contort in despair, as he met a perfect counter for his every move...

~– ~ – ~

Ilias was amused by the stupidity of the monster that worshipped her.

As if she would forgive her for the sin of her birth...

Then the Goddess had idly turned her gaze back to the dangerous one.

His expression was once more incomprehensible to her.

The voice had spoken again.

"He doesn't think of us as a Goddess... He doesn't believe in us..." it had said.

What!?

He doubted her divinity!?

How dare he!?

Nobody, not even the hateful monsters, could deny her power!

Oh, she would enjoy making him regret that...

And she would also enjoy the death of the damnable woman at HER LUKA's hands!

~– ~ – ~

Ilias still recorded every detail of the dangerous one's abilities, techniques and equipment, as he trained for the worthless human kingdom's tournament.

Overall, he was still an ant, but he was improving quickly...

Maybe too quickly.

Was he truly as magicless as he made himself appear?

If not, that could be used against him...

Though, for some reason Ilias didn't want to have Promestein's creation do it.

~– ~ – ~

As her Hero and the dangerous one faced each other in the arena, the Goddess' attention was caught by HER Luka's sudden change in attitude.

Wait...

Was he going to kill the dangerous one!?

YES!

Truly, her Hero would never disappoint her!

Ilias had cheered him on loudly, as if trying to have her voice reach him from Heaven.

However, the dangerous one was truly insidious.

Her Hero's innocence was taken advantage of, and she could do nothing to help him.

Damn him...

He would pay for this!

~– ~ – ~

When the Succubus had appeared again, the Goddess was hopeful for a moment that she would eat the dangerous one.

However, he had already laid his poisonous claws on her.

Ilias felt a cold rage building up inside her.

She did not quite realize it was not just because of the dangerous one still living, however...

~– ~ – ~

Then her Hero had soothed Ilias' heart with his brilliance, as he bravely faced the monster with the Spirit's power.

He truly was the best, after all...

~– ~ – ~

...Perhaps Ilias should have reconsidered the idea of poison?

The dangerous one's addiction really did look like a glaring weakness...

Unless that was what he wanted her to think.

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had already been prepared to intervene when her Hero had been stranded in the snow.

It would have been such a beautiful moment...

She already was looking forward to warming up his cold body with her own, spending a wonderful night together, when the dangerous one had gotten in her way.

And the worst part was that she couldn't actually fault him as he did indeed help her Hero along...

Damn it.

~– ~ – ~

Ilias would forever deny even she had felt a chill at the dangerous one's ficticious hunger-induced madness.

Was it even possible for someone other than herself to act this well...?

The Goddess had once more upgraded her enemy's threat level in her mind.

~– ~ – ~

When the monster hag had appeared again before him, Ilias hoped for a moment she would take revenge for the dangerous one's previous offense.

Instead, she had also been defiled by him.

Just when had he built all of these connections!?

Ilias could tell he was entrenching himself as deep as he could inside her enemies protection.

However, what he didn't know is that she had already made plans to eliminate all of them.

All of his struggles would be useless in the end...

The Goddess looked forward to that moment.

~– ~ – ~

There!

Those was his true colors!

Those cold eyes were proof of his dangerousness!

Why did no one else notice!?

He was a deceitful devil!

Even she was being fooled by him, as the voice whispered incomprehensibly in her ears, her heart feeling a tiny bit of sympathy she immediately repressed...

~– ~ – ~

Ilias had ignored the small pang of unpleasantness she had felt when she saw the dangerous one walk away with the monster hag.

Truly, he was a creature of sin, consorting with anything that breathed...

Disgusting.

~– ~ – ~

He had even dared to lie and speak of his fake love afterwards...

The Goddess had scoffed at the small part of her that wanted to believe in his deception.

~– ~ – ~

Again, how had he managed to show his true self and have her Hero accept it!?

The damn cunning snake!

How dare he do something she...

Huh?

The inaudible voice interrupted the Goddess' thoughts, her mind cutting off for a moment.

She then went back to observing HER LUKA, as if nothing ever happened.

~– ~ – ~

Unfortunately, the dangerous one had barely managed to avoid being eaten by the monster HER LUKA was bravely fighting against.

Ilias had instantly dismissed his words to the sealed worm, as they were utterly valueless.

The world could only be ruled with force...

~– ~ – ~

...Seriously?

Foxes?

That had to be a lie.

Such a sinful creature...

Damn his silver tongue and his handsome face...

~– ~ – ~

Ilias was bedazzled once again by HER LUKA's brilliance as he defeated all monsters that dared to oppose him in Plansect village.

The dangerous one, however, had been strangely silent the whole time...

What was he scheming now?

The Goddess did not know.

And that fact alone was enough to keep her on edge.

She had ignored the voice speaking of stupid things like his pain.

He was just fine, it was all part of his ploy, damn it!

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess almost wanted to keep an eye on the dangerous one, as HER LUKA entered the disgusting Slimes' lair.

However, she couldn't let him disrupt her plans.

HER LUKA was still far more important.

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had grit her teeth in anger, as the dangerous one had managed to finagle the damnable woman into giving him even more of her own Shadow Dancers' powerful techniques

How did the damnable woman not notice he was using her?

Truly she was as stupid as she was infuriating.

And the dangerous one was making use of that.

Ilias had to begrudgingly admit his methods were quite effective, even as she once again made note of his progress, giving every bit of data to Promestein.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, the Goddess had noticed the dangerous one's interest for Angel Halo.

That damned blade in his hands?

The mere thought had sent chills down Ilias' spine.

But she couldn't do anything about it.

She knew HER LUKA still needed the blade in order to fulfill her plans.

She could only trust her Hero to protect her, even if he was temporarily being deceived by the dangerous one...

~– ~ – ~

Even as she held back from smiting the stupid humans daring to detain HER LUKA, the Goddess prayed the dangerous one would be locked up forever instead.

However, he was cunning, and had easily made use of her Hero to escape his crimes.

Ilias couldn't blame HER LUKA for his endearing innocence, therefore put every bit of her spite on the dangerous one.

She hadn't expected her headache to increase because of that.

Not understanding why, she had just blamed it on him again.

~– ~ – ~

Ilias had felt a chill again at the dangerous one's fury, even if it wasn't directed at her.

How dare he make her feel like that!?

She was a Goddess!

He was supposed to be the powerless one!

She had begged her Hero to notice, to execute the dangerous one for her.

But, of course, he couldn't hear her pleas.

Even so, his presence soothed her...

Truly, they were meant for one another.

Ilias wouldn't let the damnable woman get in her way when the time came...

~– ~ – ~

Who was the dangerous one kidding?

He was only pretending to refuse the damnable woman.

He was a creature of sin, and he would lay his poisonous claws on her too, eventually.

For once, she actually encouraged it, despite the annoying voice buzzing in her ears...

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had ignored the dangerous one, as HER LUKA was the one shining the most, beating down the slaves that dared to escape their chains.

At least before his intervention together with the damnable woman.

Oh, well, as long as HER LUKA was happy, she didn't mind about the overgrown ants too much...

Then the dangerous one had opened his mouth again, his words an incomprehensible garble.

As she held her aching head, the Goddess once more reaffirmed his dangerousness.

However, she still persisted, unwilling to let him impede her from gazing at HER LUKA!

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess exulted, as she noticed the dangerous one's health getting worse again.

Maybe this time he would actually die!

No, even better, this could even have been a chance for her to send an assassin and make it look like a natural passing, if he was left alone that night!

Ilias had smiled a twitching smile the whole time as she waited for her subordinate to finally end her enemy, even as the damned voice repeatedly screamed in her head to stop.

Then she had yelled out in rage herself, as the damnable woman interfered with her plans yet again.

Damn her!

She had been so close!

She would also pay for that later...

The Goddess had ignored the voice sighing in relief.

~– ~ – ~

When she had remembered where HER LUKA was heading, Ilias had dared to hope again.

Even if she was nothing compared to her, Cassandra was still quite powerful.

She could possibly have eliminated the dangerous one.

Though, the Goddess knew that to be unlikely...

And also that HER LUKA could have been in danger too...

Still, she did believe in Cassandra's strength.

After all, she was really quite smart in her beliefs, despite her lesser birth...

It hadn't been easy to subtly nurture her that way.

It was truly unfortunate that she had lost all those years before...

Though, Ilias supposed, it really didn't matter in the end.

Her subsequent plan had worked perfectly anyways...

~– ~ – ~

Then the dangerous one had finally made a misstep.

He had shown his true colors in an inequivocable way.

The Goddess had rejoiced, as she trusted HER LUKA to smite him in righteous fury.

However...

Her Hero had completely fallen for the dangerous one's scheme.

It was at that moment that Ilias finally realized.

This had been the dangerous one's objective all along.

He had always been nothing but a lowly thief aiming to rob her.

And she had been powerless to stop him, even as he had effortlessly deprived her of her most precious thing.

The Goddess and the voice had both SCREAMED, as she alone beheld the demonic smile hidden behind the devil's tears, her head feeling like it was split apart.

After calming down, Ilias had turned her gaze back to her scrying pool, her face a mask of stone.

Then, she had once again provided Promestein with data on the thief.

It didn't matter how strong he would grow.

It didn't matter how good of a liar he was.

It didn't matter how handsome he was.

So what if he had stolen from her?

All she would need to do was take back what was rightfully hers.

And she would do just that, before MAKING THE DAMN THIEF REGRET EVER BEING BORN!

~– ~ – ~

Even as HER LUKA braved the dangers of the volcano for her, Ilias still kept mindlessly recording every minuscule detail of the thief's combat abilities.

She had utterly ignored the Dragon-kin's badly concealed interest for him, as she was simply yet another victim of his deception.

She had grit her teeth in anger at his fake display of weakness and benevolence, meant only to entrap both the Dragon-kin and HER LUKA even more.

Soon, she had told herself..

Soon she would help her Hero be free from the evil thief.

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had easily dismissed the thief's worthless speech, even as the damnable woman fell for his schemes again.

Stupid snake...

~– ~ – ~

Ilias hadn't missed the thief's ever so subtle manipulation of her Hero, as he guided them towards the sea again, where for some inexplicable reason he would be strongest.

Thankfully, if things went acording to her plan, he would be nowhere near any water when his finely-engineered nemesis finally would take care of him...

~– ~ – ~

Again, Ilias wouldn't be fooled by the damned thief's misdirection, as he attempted to hide his unrestrained lust.

Disgusting creature...

Then the Goddess had screamed once more, as his final incomprehensible comment suddenly became a spear of pure pain shooting through her head, the voice desperately yelling something unintelligible in her mind.

However, she had braved through the agony, unwilling to let the thief take away even a second of her precious time with HER LUKA!

~– ~ – ~

For a moment after his disappearance, Ilias had dared to hope that one of the monsters of the deep had once again caught, and this time successfully devoured, the damned thief.

She had crushed the armrest of her chair as he had reappeared, laughing maliciously at her expense.

~– ~ – ~

Again, that night, she had raged impotently, as the damnable woman once more dared to defile HER LUKA!

~– ~ – ~

Thankfully, HER LUKA was as dazzling as always, soothing her pain and suffering with his greatness, as he fought against the damned ruler of the northern seas.

Of course, then the thief had to ruin everything by boasting about his stupid law being passed...

Whatever, in the end it would not matter what he did.

After all, when the Goddess' plans finally came to fruition there would be no law but her own...

~– ~ – ~

Once more, Ilias had minutiously recorded every detain of the thief's abilities, as he interfered with HER LUKA's righteous smiting of their enemies.

Again, she had to suppress a scream at the pain his unintelligible gibberish to the sealed flies had brought her.

And of course, he would gain the three as subordinates in the process after the hag was done training them...

Why, oh why couldn't her Hero realize he was being played by that damned thief...?

She even would have taken the damnable woman's help at this point, so desperate she was for his death...

~– ~ – ~

And of course, he was also aiming for the human princess, his deception proving too much for even the warrior King...

Just how lustful could he be!?

She wasn't even that useful!

And her looks were nothing compared to a Goddess anyways!

Damned pervert...

~– ~ – ~

It was only later that Ilias understood how far ahead the thief had been planning.

The ex-human princess did possess some degree of power in her bloodline, and he had moved at exactly the right moment to ingratiate himself to her.

Once again, the Goddess was reminded just how cunning her opponent could be...

And of course, he planned to ignore the two women's feelings for one another and take them both for himself, despite his previous grandstanding about how precious love was.

Damned hypocrite...

~– ~ – ~

The Goddess had almost panicked when she realized the thief had been deceiving her and training in secret for almost a month.

Had he known about her scrying spell all along!?

No...

He couldn't have known.

Her magic was perfect and undetectable, not even Micaela had been able to sense it.

Besides, If he did know about it, he never would have allowed her to find out like this.

He had nothing to gain by providing her with this information.

And Ilias could also tell that he wasn't faking his condition, as she had once gone through the same thing, and knew the symptoms well.

Nevertheless, she still provided Promestein with the new information.

His mental resilience was impressive, but it would hardly be a problem if his body was torn apart first.

~– ~ – ~

It was as she heard the damnable woman's evil laughter that Ilias finally understood the thief's true reason for stealing HER LUKA away.

All this time, he had always treated her precious Hero, as nothing but a tribute to the being he perceived as the strongest possible ally against her, all in order to protect himself from her wrath.

For a moment, the Goddess was stunned by the revelation.

Then something inside her head had snapped, unparalleled righteous fury exuding from her every pore, making the heavens themselves tremble from her might.

HOWDARHEHOWDAREHEHOWDAREHEHOWDAREHEHOWDARHEHOWDAREHEHOWDAREHEHOWDAREHEHOWDARHEHOWDAREHEHOWDAREHEHOWDAREHEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

This time, the Goddess had utterly crushed the voice as soon as it had spoken up.

She had ignored the pain this action brought her, a mad smile she believed to look serene splitting her face, as she still watched over HER LUKAAAAAAA!

~– ~ – ~

As her Hero was nearing the end of his journey, the Goddess had already made sure her subordinates had taken care of everything.

She still hoped he would kill the damnable woman himself in the end.

But even if he didn't, Ilias still would make sure the damn thief could never deceive anyone again, after she STRIPPED HIM OF EVERYTHING THAT MADE HIM HUMAN AND THROWN HIS WORTHLESS SOUL DOWN THE DEEPEST PITS OF A HELL SHE WOULD PERSONALLY CREATE JUST FOR HIM!

* * *

Part 4: Alma Elma

Even as she awaited the two humans' arrival in her lord's castle, the Succubus Queen was stuck in her room, fussing over her own appearance.

That in itself was quite unusual already.

Alma Elma had always been confident about her own body.

Countless men had praised her beauty, especially as she had been embracing them.

However, this was different.

Because this time, Alma Elma wasn't aiming to just give pleasure.

She also aimed to receive it.

And she had no idea where to even start.

Even as she threw dress after dress on her bed in order to choose, the Succubus' mind ran back once again to her brief encounter with the cause of her current restlessness, back in the Coliseum.

~– ~ – ~

Initially, Alma Elma had simply gone out to enjoy herself, like usual.

Though the reason behind it had been different from her habitual playfulness.

In the preceding days, she had been feeling...

Strange.

She wasn't exactly in a bad mood, just...

Sometimes, she had caught herself sighing melancholically, as if she was missing something.

Even as she enjoyed herself with some of her favourite men around the castle, she just hadn't been able to escape this feeling.

It really wasn't anything tragic, just a minor gripe if anything...

But it was a bit unpleasant not knowing the reason for it.

She hadn't really talked to anyone about it, as she didn't feel like having others fuss over her again like last time.

Plus, her best friend was busying herself with her training, so she was bored sitting around the castle by herself.

~– ~ – ~

Alma Elma always had enjoyed the Coliseum, as she could use the arena as a stage to prove to herself and others the true beauty of pleasure over pain.

It helped her suppress the one part of herself she could not accept, no matter what.

She was aware of the cause, of course...

Her mother had been very strict with her, when she was little.

She had loved her daughter dearly, but that love was in fact the very reason for her little girls's issues.

After all, it was impossible for Alma to forget the moment her mommy first became aware of her daughter's deep wrongness...

~– ~ – ~

She had been draining one of her first men, her mother watching over her, when suddenly, she had felt the urge for the first time.

Immediately, her mother had stopped her.

And, at first, the young Succubus just couldn't understand why.

She had lashed out in indignation, and it was only afterwards that she realized what had happened, as her mother had fallen backwards, a bruise already forming on her arm.

The words that came out of her mommy's mouth at that moment would always resound within the little girl's heart.

"Disqualified as a Succubus" she had said...

~– ~ – ~

Her mother had tried to properly educate little Alma afterwards, but she and her daughter never were as close as before.

In the end, the Succubus had left her mother's home and set out on her own.

Her whimsical nature was no lie, but nobody else knew the truth of the burden she carried.

Still, she was used to living with it.

It had been a part of her long enough that she had learned how to ignore it and enjoy herself.

At least, until she had been reminded of it...

She would not despair about it anymore, however.

After all, she had already been forgiven...

~– ~ – ~

The moment Luka-boy had entered the arena in front of her, Alma Elma was initially distracted by his cuteness, before realizing the implications behind his presence.

Then she had finally seen her savior again, as he gazed at her from the stands, sitting beside her lord.

Instantly, the Succubus' heart had started beating faster, her face heating up as she looked back at his face.

Had he always been this handsome...?

Luka-boy's yells had snapped her out of her thoughts, but she was still keenly aware of her savior's eyes on her body.

She had taught Luka-boy how to play with the wind, hoping he would be pleased with her.

She had surprised even herself with her serious tone, even though she agreed with every word that had came out of her mouth.

Only, she still felt like she hadn't been able to say what she truly wanted.

Finally, it was time for her to leave.

Even as she did so, however, she still remembered the beautiful feeling of her savior's touch lingering on her forehead...

~– ~ – ~

It was only after she had come back to the castle again that Alma Elma had finally realized what she had been missing all that time.

Her thoughts had ran to her mother again.

But this time, she hadn't let herself feel guilty for her wants.

True, it wasn't considered normal for a Succubus to wish for pain, either on others or herself...

In fact, however, that was not what Alma Elma longed for.

Or, at least, it was a different kind of pain, one that actually felt...

Good.

One that, she was sure, could only be given to her by one person.

She couldn't help but blush again, as she fantasized about them both spending a wonderful night together...

She resolved to do her best to appeal to him when they saw each other again.

Of course, she knew that was easier said than done...

But she had no intention to give up.

Besides, she was still the Succubus Queen after all, her pride wouldn't allow her to submit to a single man.

That is, until they were both naked together on the bed...

* * *

Part 5: Tamamo

Even as the old Kitsune cried out once again to her servants for more sakè to forget her troubles, none of them really aware of the reasons for them but all willing to help, she couldn't help but think back on how foolish she had been, having missed such a stupidly obvious thing as that...

~– ~ – ~

Tamamo had been thinking about the two humans traveling with little Alice for a while already, as she took some time to visit her own home, having heard of a young upstart overstepping her boundaries.

Luka was hardly a concern despite his power, the old monster knew how to ensure he would take the path she wanted him to.

Daniel, however, was another matter entirely.

The utter lack of information about him, combined with how close he had gotten with little Alice and the chill Tamamo herself had felt when they first met, were more than enough for her to be concerned.

However, she couldn't be hasty in her judgement.

She needed to confirm his true nature and motives, before making a move.

She was already halfway through thinking her way through to that goal, when suddenly the two elves that were supposed to guard the village had come to her with a strange report of a human wanting to eat them.

Confused and disturbed, she had immediately moved to investigate.

~– ~ – ~

All of her previous plans and schemes were forgotten the moment she saw Daniel's serene smile, as he ate some sushi in front of her without a care in the world.

She had regained her composure a few moments after, but still saved the image in her head for later...

The two elves' reaction had been confusing to her, but no more than the complete change of attitude the human had apparently underwent after their last encounter.

The first time she had seen him she had even been slightly worried for his life, given the inordinate amount of stress he had obviously been under.

Then, during their second encounter, she had witnessed his great kindness and insight, as he easily erased the Succubus' inner conflict, despite his concealed nervousness at being in the presence of the powerful Dragon-kin who still was seeing him as an enemy.

And now he had looked completely at ease, even messing around with monsters he barely knew, and fully showing his borderline obsession for the local foods, uncaring for anyone else's opinion.

It was almost like he was a different person, though Tamamo knew she never could mistake his handsome face for anyone else's at that point...

~– ~ – ~

As the village chief explained the problem, Tamamo found herself unconsciously stealing glances at him.

It was only coincidence that she had witnessed his eyes growing colder once more, as no one else had noticed yet.

She had instantly understood the implications.

It was extraordinarily rare for the old monster to fail to read an opponent's emotions, as she had spent literal centuries refining her senses.

Her immense experience in reading magical auras was useless on this particular human, however.

He could easily hide his true thoughts from her.

And that was enough to make Tamamo VERY concerned, both for others...

And for him.

She still couldn't tell which of these worries had reason to be yet.

But she knew she needed to find out.

~– ~ – ~

Tamamo hadn't actually expected Daniel to so readily accept her coming along on his stroll.

Nevertheless, she would not waste the chance she was being given.

~– ~ – ~

The old monster had taken her time to organize her own thoughts, before actually starting the conversation.

Immediately, it became apparent that she had not been wrong in her assessment of the human's possible threat level, his true thoughts as hard to read as ever despite his outwardly relaxed appearance.

However, he still did not appear hostile, even as she poked and prodded at his boundaries with every inquiry.

And every word out of his mouth was filled with wisdom mixed with self-reproach, as if he didn't believe himself worthy of the high concepts he was speaking of.

When little Alice had come up in their conversation, the old monster had immediately grown alarmed, before stopping for a moment, as her brain temporarily failed to process the casual answer she had received.

When it had finally clicked, she had automatically expressed her doubts, completely failing to hide her surprise.

Then the old monster had once more grown alert, as she realized that whatever hidden motive the human had, she only had one way to stop him...

It only took a few more words for him to prove that unnecessary.

It was then that Tamamo finally understood just what kind of person Daniel really was...

And like she already had with others before, she found herself wanting that person.

Unfortunately for her, no matter how many times that happened, she never would get used to the sensation...

And she was keenly aware that time and effort would be needed before she could possibly act upon her desires.

Especially given the fact she had already been rejected once...

The old monster had inwardly sighed dejectedly at her own lack of forethought.

Truly, sometimes she regretted having chosen this sort of carefree persona for herself...

~– ~ – ~

The more Tamamo found out about Daniel, the more she found him endearing.

He adored her hometown's foods as much as she did, he had easily forgiven her for her previous offense, and even his handsome face was just so cute when he acted all embarrassed...

It was truly too bad that he was also apparently as dense as a brick.

Oh, no matter, Tamamo still would enjoy the "hunt"...

She WAS a predator, after all.

~– ~ – ~

Once more, the old monster's lack of forethought had proven to be her undoing, as she had completely forgot her home's current only table was rectangular instead of round.

Had she remembered in time, she would have bought a round one and chosen whatever seat was next to Daniel's.

In her defense, it HAD been more than a century since she had any houseguests...

Oh well, at least her cooking skills were still decent despite the lack of recent practice.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but internally cry a little at the lost opportunity for some light skinship...

Especially so after that one comment he had made after the meal.

She had been SO close to just jumping him right there and then...

Thankfully Luka had been in the room as well, as the old monster knew how bad that would have been.

Even so, she did feel a bit disappointed to see him leaving...

Though at least this could provide her with an opportunity to talk with Luka and little Alice about him.

~– ~ – ~

The results of her inquiries had been a bit different from what Tamamo had expected.

First of all, Luka had been unable to answer some of the most basic questions she could think of, indicating that despite his apparent openness during the time they had spent together, Daniel didn't really share much of himself with those close to him.

Second of all, from the last time she had spoken with little Alice, Daniel had grown stronger at a frankly abnormal rate.

So much so that little Alice had been at a loss on how to deal with him, as he kept throwing himself in some of Luka's fights.

When she had recounted the tale of him apparently awakening his Serene Mind on his first battle, Tamamo had to hide her shock.

She couldn't quite do the same when she heard about him being able to sense energy on a level above that of the spirits themselves.

It just didn't make any sense!

Not only was his strength increasing at an impossible rate, but his body simply didn't seem to follow even the most basic laws of nature!

However, the thing that concerned her the most was a different one.

Namely, his lifespan.

Not only because of the effects it would have on his psyche.

But also for the singular reason that it gave the old monster a chance for something she had never dared to even hope for.

The possibility of a love lasting more than just one lifetime.

And in the face of that, for a moment, all else was forgotten...

~– ~ – ~

Tamamo had barely managed to maintain her usual facade that night, as the two men fought against the monster threatening her home.

She had decided to delay her intervention for more than one reason.

First of all, she needed time to calm her heart down.

She couldn't afford to let herself be swayed by emotion, she had a responsibility to uphold, both as little Alice's guardian, and as the one being with most chance of opposing her own mother's old enemy, should her evil put the world she and her other daughters had sacrificed themselves to save in jeopardy once more...

Secondarily, she still needed to keep up appearances, and the fake prank would be a great way to do that.

Lastly...

She needed to test Daniel.

She hated the idea of putting him in danger, but she just couldn't think of a better way to make sure he was truly on their side.

If at any point during the fight he had revealed anything angelic in nature in order to harm their opponent, Tamamo was likely the only one that could notice, and then she would have had no choice but to mark him as an enemy himself.

Though she really, REALLY hoped it wouldn't come to that...

~– ~ – ~

The Kitsune was immensely glad her theory was disproven, as Daniel had been either unable or unwilling to harm the eight-headed snake in any lasting way, proving that he could still be trusted.

However, she had also gotten careless.

When the desperate monster had launched herself towards him, Tamamo's heart had stopped for a moment.

At least before her instincts had taken over, the only thought in the old monster's head a loud roar of bestial fury, as she punished the young upstart for daring to try and steal her prey...

For but a moment, Tamamo no Mae had returned to being the alpha beast she had been all those years ago, when she had been roaming the earth as the ultimate predator.

Then, the beast had instantly been completely tamed with nothing but a few words and a single, unexpected, gentle touch, Tamamo's heart fluttering in her chest at the sight of Daniel's small smile directed at her...

She had regained her composure soon after, but she still could feel the leftover warmth on her fluffy ears, her inner self already begging for more of it...

She knew, right there and then, that she was already addicted.

~– ~ – ~

The day after, Daniel had to leave.

It had been incredibly hard for Tamamo to not beg him to reconsider.

But she knew he would have refused anyway.

He would not abandon his friends for her, nor would he abandon his dream.

She both loved and hated that part of him...

But she wouldn't have changed it, even if she could.

Regardless, she still hadn't been able to help but take the opportunity to request for the one thing she had wanted almost as much as him staying.

And again, he had unexpectedly agreed.

Ahhh, why did he have to be so damn delicious-looking!?

Sometimes, Tamamo really hated her gluttonous side...

~– ~ – ~

After getting back to the castle, the old monster had noticed something strange in her fellow Heavenly Knights' behavior...

She had then screamed in frustration the moment she finally had realized her own folly.

...How the hell could she have missed it!?

The signs were right there!

His handsome face, his accepting thoughtfulness, everything down to his goddamned thick-headedness!

The old monster couldn't help but slump in her chair, as she assured her right-hand woman that she was fine, she just wanted to drink.

~– ~ – ~

That same evening, she had drowned her sorrows in her hometown's delicious alcohol, all the while asking herself the same question over and over.

Why, oh why did she have to fall for a natural-born Harem King of all people...?

* * *

Part 6: Erubetie

The Slime Queen still couldn't help but tremble incontrollably every time her mind ran back to the human she had encountered just outside of her brethren's last bastion.

It wasn't out of rage or hatred that she did so, however.

But rather, out of fear.

~– ~ – ~

Erubetie had immediately noticed the human's lack of any sort of magic.

However, she had simply dismissed the detail as his attempt to conceal himself in order to infiltrate her brethren's home, even going as far as using his own comrade as a distraction.

Nevertheless, she had waited for his companion inside the spring to reveal his true colors as she knew he would have, before actually intervening to stop his scheme in its tracks.

She wanted the human to realize just how it felt to be at the mercy of an enemy who wished to take everything from you.

~– ~ – ~

As expected, he had tried to lie to save himself, denying the obvious truth without remorse.

Or at least, that's what Erubetie had thought at first.

But then everything had changed, when she noticed he was making no move to try and save himself any further.

'Just what is he scheming?', she had thought, before actually calling the human out on it.

His answer, however, had been completely unexpected.

Nevertheless, the Slime Queen had persevered, ignoring the strange chill she had felt at his words.

Then, the human had spoken again, this time of his own initiative.

She had bitterly denied what she thought was the human's last attempt at begging for his own life.

But then her rage was suddenly replaced by complete confusion, as she heard her captive's nonsensical last wish.

She had wanted him to explain himself, but she couldn't even finish making the request before the human had completely derailed her train of thought with his absolutely crazy next action.

For a moment, Erubetie had simply stared at his submerged form in utter disbelief, before an absolutely chilling horror completely overwhelmed her, as she realized just what was happening.

The human was using her to kill himself.

Instantly, she had recoiled in terror, expunging the clearly insane man from her body in the process, already starting to shiver uncontrollably.

She had yelled at him with all the courage she had been able to muster, but his answers had done nothing but increase her fear even more.

Then she had insinctively followed the human's forceful order to leave, as he started erasing every trace of what had transpired.

~– ~ – ~

Ever since that day, Erubetie hadn't been able to rest properly.

Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his body drowning within her own, the last bubbles of air being willingly pushed out of his lungs...

She had spoken to no one of what had happened, and even she did not know the true reason.

However, she still did ask for as much information as she could get on the human himself.

Unfortunately, the amount of it was sorely lacking.

However, Erubetie did manage to find out his name, eventually...

Daniel.

That was his name.

The name of the man she had tried to murder.

The name of the man she had been protected by.

And the name of the man whose will she could not bring herself to oppose...

* * *

Part 7: Granberia.

Even as her newly-hired maid and apprentice hummed a cheerful tune while happily cleaning her new master's room, Granberia, the genius swordswoman and Heavenly Knight of fire, couldn't help but silently whimper at the absurdity of the situation, her disturbed heart utterly unable to recover stability, as she rested her exhausted head on her hands, sitting in front of her desk and slumping over it.

And all the while, In her currently-everything-but-serene mind the Dragon-kin couldn't help but keep asking herself a single question.

"...Just how did it come to this!?"

~– ~ – ~

Granberia had always been keenly aware of how important it was for a warrior's heart to be always unwavering.

It had been one of the earliest lessons her mentor and adoptive mother had taught her, after her family had abandoned because of her weakness.

The Dragon-kin was ever grateful to her.

It was only thanks to her guidance that she had been able to become a true warrior.

Or at least, that's what she had once thought herself to be...

~– ~ – ~

Never before had the young swordswoman's heart grown so unsteady after the day she had unlocked her own Serene Mind at the tender age of five.

Not when she had encountered her biological family again, even after they had tried to harm her and she had beaten them down with the sword they had so looked down upon.

Not when she had faced defeat at the hands of her lord, instead having been proud to become her loyal subordinate.

And not even when she had discovered her own vulnerability to her dear friend's arts of pleasure, her losing streak still unending...

So how the hell was it that she just couldn't get that man's face out of her head no matter how hard she tried!?

~– ~ – ~

It had been a few days since Alma Elma's recovery.

Ever since then, the Dragon-kin had spent every bit of free time she had fighting any willing opponent she could.

However, she still hadn't managed to find anyone capable of forcing her to get serious, and every time she had tried to focus her heart on the battle, for some undiscernible reason, her mind had always ran back to her last encounter with the misterious human both her lord and that promising young warrior traveled with...

"Guh...! Such heavy attacks... But I'm not done yet!" the Dragon-kin's latest challenger yelled, as their aura surged once again before charging towards her.

'Heavy, huh... I wonder if he thinks I look that way...' Granberia had silently pondered, before realizing what the hell she had just thought.

'...Why the heck should I care about what he thinks of my looks!?' she inwardly yelled in disbelief, even as she easily parried her challenger's horns with her blade, before sending the Behemoth flying towards a wall with a powerful swing.

The black monster soon shook off the rubble from her body, and got back up, but it was clear from her trembling legs that the fight was already over.

"You... Damn... She-ogre..." the loser stammered, before falling unconscious on the ground.

Granberia slowly exhaled, the last of her fighting spirit settling down.

However, to her immense irritation, once again, her mind couldn't help but focus on her opponent's last comment.

'She-ogre, huh... I mean, I know I don't really put much effort into my appearance... But maybe I should consider a diet or something? I don't want him to say I look like an ogre too... Wait, no, why would I need to lose weight for someone like him!? Aaaaarrgh!' Granberia internally screamed in frustration, even as her latest opponent was carried away by the castle's staff.

~– ~ – ~

Some time later, the Dragon-kin was back in her own room, quietly meditating...

Or at least trying to.

'...I wonder what he's doing right now? Maybe I could go see him...!' "Argh!" Granberia exclaimed in exasperation, both internally and externally this time, before getting up from her seated position and picking up her sword again.

However, before she could actually move towards the training grounds again, the door to her room was rudely slammed open without knocking, a familiar small figure with nine fox tails standing on the outside of it with an irritated expression.

"Oi! Would you stop breaking down the damn wall already!? My subordinates have been working on the damage all week, and it's already the fourth time!" Tamamo protested.

"Guh..." Granberia grimaced, unable to retort.

Indeed, she had caused quite a bit of trouble to the castle's staff recently, as she kept misjudging her own strength in her distraction during the many duels.

"Seriously, you could just send them flying a little higher and they would go over it anyway! I actually had to finish the repairs myself, the children were just exhausted!" Tamamo pressed.

"...I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Granberia apologised, inwardly lamenting her inability to control her own mind.

"This is unlike you... You're not the type to randomly pick so many fights with just anyone, is there something that bothers you?" Tamamo asked in concern.

"...Actually, I..." Granberia automatically started, before stopping herself.

No.

She would not allow herself to burden others with her nonsensical issues.

This was HER problem.

"...?" Tamamo tilted her head to the side curiously.

"...No, it's nothing. By the way, when did you return to the castle? I heard you were visiting your hometown..." Granberia questioned, changing the topic.

"Oh, I just got back. Actually, I met Lord Alice there. A young upstart was causing trouble, and that cute boy Luka came to help." Tamamo replied.

"...! I-Is that so..." Granberia startled, as she realized who else the old Kitsune had likely met.

"Yeah... Did you know? He actually started looking for the four Spirits. He already managed to make a contract with Sylph and Gnome." Tamamo added.

"...! The four Spirits, you say..." Granberia hummed thoughtfully, as she started considering the possibilities.

Despite the distractions, she HAD noticed the Hero's marked improvement under her lord's tutelage.

In fact, she had already predicted that he could have become quite the opponent in a few years' time.

However, the power of the Four Spirits could shorten that time significantly.

Especially if he actually managed to convince her old mentor to support him...!

This could have been her chance to finally pull herself together again!

She had been unable to feel anything from the weaker opponents she had faced so far, but perhaps this time would be different!

She could regain her warrior's heart and finally go back to being herself again.

And maybe she could also use her beloved sword skills to impress the human a bit in the process... Wait, no! Argh!

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, Granberia had trained ceaselessly in preparation for the awaited duel.

She had dedicated herself fully to a regime of absolute self-discipline, all in order to restore her Serene Mind to full efficiency.

Finally, she had heard of Erubetie's return from Undine's spring, and she knew that her opponent would be heading to her mentor's home next.

She had departed right away.

~– ~ – ~

Unfortunately for Granberia, however, all that her training had seemingly managed to accomplish was temporarily allow herself to forget what her problem was.

And of course, she couldn't quite keep that up as she had noticed just what, or rather WHO she had been standing on after making her entrance in her mentor's home.

All of her previously ingrained self-discipline had instantly disappeared into a mess of surprise, fear, concern and all sorts of chaotic emotions, as she had found herself completely befuddled by the human's sudden appearance.

She had wanted to apologise, but what had come out of her mouth himself was the last thing she ever wanted to say...

That is, exactly what she was thinking, as her own brain had betrayed her once again.

Thankfully, her lord's intervention and the Hero's agreement to their duel had been enough for the swordswoman to somewhat regain her composure, but she still hadn't been able to help but notice just how firm his muscles looked even under the elven clothes he was wearing as he walked to the side of the battlefield...

No!

She had a duel to fight.

And this Hero was not an opponent she could afford to hold back against any longer...

~– ~ – ~

The battle was everything Granberia had hoped it would be, despite the one embarrassing moment of distraction she would be lambasting herself over later.

She had even been able to release her ultimate attack, and the young Hero she was facing had managed to retaliate even as he took it!

Her monster blood was boiling, as she had prepared to take the fight to the next stage...

That is, before it had instantly frozen over, as she looked into the chilling eyes of the human who had once managed to hold her at daggerpoint.

No, she sudenly realized.

She had gotten it all wrong.

The Hero wasn't the opponent she had been looking for.

All this time, she had refused to listen to her instincts, even as they told her over and over...

Her real opponent was now standing right in front of her.

The Heavenly Knight had instantly rose to the task, uncaring for the superficial wounds she had received, as she prepared for what, she knew, would be the fight of her life...

Or at least, so she had thought.

It had taken a moment for the swordswoman's brain to catch up to her would-be-opponent's immediate refusal.

Instantly, her heart was ignited in fury, as she realized she was being looked down upon by him.

She had insisted and taunted him back, unwilling to let that stand.

However, she had just misunderstood everything once again...

And this time, the consequences of her error were far worse.

Granberia had felt a terrible pain in her chest, as the human she had thought of as a fellow warrior so vehemently rejected the meaning of her existence.

For a moment, the proud Heavenly Knight was back to being nothing more than a lonely little girl, as she relived in her mind the horrible moment when her biological mother had abandoned her for her inadequacy all those years ago...

Despair had overtook her without the Dragon-kin even realizing why, as she stood in a daze, every hint of her precious warrior heart completely crushed under its impossible weight...

That heavy despair, however, was immediately lifted from her soul by the human's gentle smile, as his next words made her realize she had only misunderstood him yet again.

It was only after he had already left, carrying her defeated opponent away, that Granberia had found herself trying to reach for him with her hand outstretched...

His name...

It was Daniel, wasn't it?

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, the Dragon-kin's warrior heart had finally recovered its stability.

However, that didn't mean she had forgotten about what had happened.

Rather, every time she had tried to enter a state of Serene Mind, the gentle smile she had received from Daniel automatically reappeared in her thoughts, her heart soothed by the image, as it helped speed up the process...

Of course, Granberia was not entirely comfortable with this development.

~– ~ – ~

As Granberia once more sheathed her sword, the Minotaurus acting as her latest opponent lying on the ground in front of her recovering from the impact of her last swing, she once again inwardly yelled in frustration at the absurdities her brain just kept coming up with.

...It just didn't make any sense!

A warrior's heart was supposed to be something pure and perfect, how was it even possible for that human's face to be associated with it!?

Not that she thought he looked bad in any way, but still...

And besides, he wasn't even a warrior, he had said so himself!

Even if she had been rejected by her family, Granberia couldn't go against the laws of her people...

She had no right to ask Daniel to put himself in danger to obtain the Seal from the Pyramid in order to fulfill her selfish desire...

...Wait a minute, what was that!?

She and Daniel...

Married?

"...! An opening!" the Minotauros yelled out, as she raised herself from the ground and charged forward towards the dazed Granberia.

An instant later, she was swatted away towards the wall by the Dragon-kin's backhanded blow to her cheek, already unconscious even before crashing through it.

"...Oi! I told you to stop breaking walls, dammit! Are you even listening to me!?" Tamamo yelled out indignantly.

However, Granberia in fact was NOT listening, too distracted by the fact that her last blow had instinctively followed the flow of the world without her even being conscious about it.

And of course, she was also busy fantasizing about both the marriage, and the wedding night that would follow, her face growing scarlet at the thought of his gentle smile as he slowly...!

AAAAARRGGH!

~– ~ – ~

After that particular episode, it had taken a while for Granberia to recollect herself.

She had then decided to ignore the matter entirely, conscious of the fact her reasoning about her fantasies' impossibility had at least been sound.

It was indeed not possible for her and Daniel to be together...

Besides, why would he ever accept someone like her?

He deserved better than a charmless, brutish woman...

And, In the first place, they had nothing in common.

She was not a human.

He was not a warrior.

She was not attractive.

He was not weak and insecure.

She was not kind and considerate to others.

He was not in love with her...

~– ~ – ~

It was simply out of duty that Granberia had come to Fairy Island.

As a Heavenly Knight, she had a responsibility to uphold her lord's laws...

And her personal feelings were unimportant in front of it.

Perhaps it was for the best that the human was there too...

Surely, a kind soul like he would have utterly despised her after she executed the traitorous Queen in cold blood.

And thus, Granberia would have been able to finally let go of her impossible dreams...

Only, things had not gone according to plan.

Granberia had watched in horror, as the man himself had suddenly appeared in the path of her swing, the Dragon-kin unable to stop her beloved blade in time.

However, once again, Daniel had utterly defied her inner despair, his body remaining unhurt from the heavy blow, even after his metallic gauntlets had fallen apart under the force.

And then, the Dragon-kin's previously logical arguments and resigned resolution had crumbled with them, as her eyes had fallen on the unmistakable mark etched on the right hand of the human she loved.

No way...

It was just not possible...

And yet, there it was.

And with it, the hope for a future Granberia had never allowed herself to truly consider...

The human princess had helped her snap out of her reverie, but the Dragon-kin had been far from truly composed.

In fact, her heart was completely filled with chaotic emotions, ranging from hope and happiness to guilt and concern, as she was completely unable to settle down.

HOW!?

Just HOW was it there!?

WHY was it there!?

Was it possible...

M-m-m-maybe...!

No!

She still had a duty to uphold!

The rest would come later...

Unfortunately, despite him having been insightful enough to realize her messy state of mind and try to help her, it didn't seem like Daniel had actually noticed the true reason for it.

...Oh.

Maybe there was still hope though...

Right?

Then Sara had followed the Dragon-kin all the way to her lord's castle through her own magic and confessed on the spot, showing her the exact same mark on her own hand.

...What the hell was going on!?

~– ~ – ~

The following conversation had easily been the most embarrassing in the Dragon-kin's life.

"What are you doing here!?" Granberia loudly asked the human princess, as the magical portal closed behind them.

"I wanted to talk to you! I have something to say!" Sara resolutely replied.

"This is the Monster Lord's castle! It's no place for a human! It's dangerous for you to be here! I will open another gate, so just..." Granberia started.

"No! I won't go back until I say what I need to!" Sara declared, her eyes blazing with powerful determination.

Instantly, Granberia knew she wouldn't be able to dissuade the princess, her expression faintly reminding the dragon-kin of the one Daniel had worn the second time they had met, as he had commanded her to take him to Alma...

"...Argh! Fine! What is it... Ehhh!?" the Heavenly Knight startled incredulously, as the princess in front of her revealed on her own right hand the Dragon Seal.

"...I love you, Granberia. I have been in love with you for a long time. Perhaps you might not remember, but this is not the first time we've met... Years ago, you saved my life when I was about to be attacked by a Scorpion Girl. Ever since then, I have been training in order to take the Dragon Seal Trial inside the Pyramid. All in order to have a chance to be with you..." Sara started in a solemn tone.

Granberia could only silently stare at the mark on the princess' hand with wide eyes.

"It's only recently that I took the trial. However, I was grossly unprepared. It was only thanks to Daniel and Luka that I realized my own foolishness and still managed to pass..." Sara continued.

Granberia's heart sank at the sudden realisation.

...Oh.

So it was like that...

He was just helping Sara get closer to her...

He didn't mean anything by it...

It was all just another one of her misunderstandings...

"However, I hadn't been ready not only as a warrior... But also, as a woman. I thought that if only I had this mark on my hand, it would be enough to guarantee our relationship's success. I had never considered your feelings on the matter at all, only thinking of myself... And again, it was Daniel that taught me how wrong I was. True love takes a long time spent together. It's not something that can be rushed, or forced on others... You have no obligation to accept my feelings, now or ever... But!" Sara suddenly yelled, the Dragon-kin snapping out of her reverie at the abrupt change in volume.

"That doesn't mean I will give up! I neither can nor want to force you to accept me, but I have no intention to give up on my own feelings... And neither should you." Sara strongly declared.

"...Huh?" Granberia blinked in utter confusion.

"I know you're in love with Daniel. I've seen the way you look at him." Sara deadpanned.

Immediately, Granberia's eyes widened in fear and concern, as she took a step back.

"No! I..." she tried, before being swiftly interrupted.

"There's no need to sugarcoat it... I know I don't stand a chance against him in a direct competition. But I don't mind. I'm not so selfish to think I could have you all for myself anyways. Besides, if it's Daniel I know he won't do anything to hurt you... Or me." Sara shrugged, even as she blushed lightly.

By this point the Dragon-kin's face was a shade of red closely resembling a ripe tomato, as her mind spun in chaotic circles.

"...Cough. Anyway. I don't know what Daniel thinks of you or me right now. But even if he may not see either of us like that quite yet, it doesn't mean he won't necessarily change his mind in the future. So don't give up on your feelings. I will also do the same, and support you all the way, even if I'm not included... Though I REALLY would like it if I was..." Sara finished with a small whisper.

It was then that Granberia finally understood the depth of the feelings of the woman in front of her.

And she could only be awed by it.

She stood speechless before the human princess, her eyes wide in admiration, her heart beating faster for a moment.

"Y... You..." she stammered, unable to articulate a full sentence.

"You don't need to answer right away. No, rather, I don't want you to... But, please, PLEASE, allow me to remain by your side! I will do anything, I'll even be your personal maid if you want, just let me be here for you!" Sara desperately pleaded, tears already gathering in her eyes despite her efforts to suppress them.

"...Argh! Fine you can stay here, just please don't cry!" Granberia immediately capitulated, already panicking.

"Really...?" Sara asked with a quivering voice.

"Sure, I'll take care of it! Just stop crying!" Granberia pleaded.

"But... I still need to train my swordsmanship..." Sara sniffled.

"I'll teach you that myself, don't worry about it! Just leave it to me!" Granberia declared.

"...Yay! Thank you, Master!" Sara exulted, her expression instantly shifting to a happy one, as she quickly hugged the Dragon-kin, before starting to jump up and down like an excited little kid.

"...Huh?" Granberia exclaimed in complete befuddlement at the princess' sudden change of mood.

"Well, it's only proper for both a maid and a disciple to call her master Master, no? Ah, I can't wait... I'll wake up Master every day, take care of her every need, be taught the sword by her... And later, at night... Hehehehehe..." Sara started talking to herself, as her imagination ran wild.

"...What just happened?" was all the Dragon-kin could say, as she looked slightly fearfully at the laughing human princess.

However, despite her own expectations, Granberia found that she didn't particularly feel bad about Sara's earnest display of attraction to her...

~– ~ – ~

In the following days, Granberia's heart had been continuously thrown for a spin by her new maid and disciple's shameless teasing, though Sara was always careful not to take things too far.

She had done incredibly embarrassing things like threatening to kiss her Master awake in the morning, offer to wash her back in the bath, and plead for a hug from her after getting slightly hurt in training, but not once had she insisted after being refused, no matter how many times.

And of course, she also had spent time encouraging and counseling the Dragon-kin about Daniel, though every single one of her suggestions had been far too embarrassing to even contemplate...

Nevertheless, every single thing Sara did to help Granberia was not unnoticed by her.

And slowly but surely, the Dragon-kin started feeling more and more relaxed in her presence...

~– ~ – ~

Finally, the day the Hero would reach the Monster Lord's castle was near.

Granberia's heart was still unable to completely settle down...

But she would not let that get in the way of her duty.

Not only for her Lord...

But also for herself, Sara, and Daniel both.

She would prove to herself that she was worthy of them.

* * *

Part 8: Promestein

The scientist's heart-rate spiked at the prospective of the innumerable things she could learn from the mutant's body, as she finished the necessary preparations for the coming invasion...

It was not the first time either.

It had happened in every single instance the Goddess had provided her with new data on the invaluable specimen.

The mutant's sensing capabilities were outstanding, and his physique was growing stronger and more resilient at an abnormal rate, to the point he was speculated to be able to directly contend with a monster Queen on his own after only a few months of training.

He also appeared to be immune to most, if not all, forms of energy alteration techniques, such as the Siren's song or magic eyes.

However, none of these were the most interesting detail about him in the scientist's eyes.

Rather, it was the Goddess herself's attitude towards him.

Every time she had spoken of him, Promestein could feel that Ilias' rage and hatred of him were growing proportionately with her own fears.

And the scientist had no idea why.

She did have a theory, however.

The mutant's apparent lack of elemental energy was always an intriguing factor, but perhaps she had been too quick to dismiss it as useless.

It was entirely possible, in fact, that while he did not possess any energy of his own, he could have been able to absorb the necessary elements for his survival from his surroundings instead.

If that was the case, then that was indeed a frightening ability.

If he was capable of manipulating and/or accumulating elemental energy in an undetectable form, it was feasible that he could then unleash it all at once and trigger a devastating chain reaction comparable to Hero Heinrich's strongest technique.

It was only speculation, but it was indeed within the realm of possibility.

And it would have explained the Goddess' fearful reaction, as that particular attack could possibly be a threat to her, especially if the mutand was able to unleash it instantly.

There was one thing, however, that Promestein couldn't find an explanation for.

Whenever the Goddess had provided her with transcripts of his every word among the rest of the combat data, there were times in which the conversations abruptly stopped or switched topics.

Not to mention the fact the mutant was apparently extremely knowledgeable in some obscure areas of understanding while completely ignorant on other things considered by most to be commons sense.

Even more interesting was the fact the Goddess did not openly acknowledge these details, even as she urged the scientist to hurry to complete her weapon in order to end him.

Something was amiss, and the key to unraveling the mystery was most assuredly the mutant himself.

The scientist was already positlively thrilled at the knowledge she could gain from the invaluable specimen.

However, she knew she couldn't afford to rush things.

The Next Doll she was preparing needed to be perfect under all aspects.

It needed to look right to the Goddess, its abilities perfect counters to the mutant's own, while still capable of achieving its true function in complete subtlety.

One tiny mistake, and Promestein could have lost everything.

No, she would bide her time and prepare every contingency she could.

Up to, and including a possible "diplomatic" approach.

After all, if even a Goddess was scared of the mutant, there had to be a logical reason...

And if that was the case, it would possibly be better to come to terms with the mutant instead.

Though, of course, that would be easier said than done...

* * *

Part 9: The four Spirits

As their current contractor walked towards the Monster Lord's castle, the four embodiments of nature were secretly starting a meeting within his body.

Needless to say, order was NOT one of the four elements.

"Heyhey, why are we having a meeting? Are we going to play a prank on someone? Is it Luka? I bet it's Luka." Sylph excitedly chattered.

As usual, Gnome was stoic and silent, but her annoyance was nevertheless apparent.

"Yes, Salamander, why is it that you decided to set up such a thing in secret? Is there something you'd like to confess?" Undine questioned condescendingly.

"Shut up! I don't want to be in your presence any more than you do mine, so let's just get this over with quickly!" Salamander snapped.

"Hmph. Barbaric as usual..." Undine scoffed.

"What was that!?" Salamander roared back, already starting to burn brighter, before Gnome interposed herself between the two of them.

"...Hmph. We'll finish that discussion later. Now... I assume everyone here has noticed how abnormal Daniel is, right?" Salamander questioned, finally getting to the topic at hand.

"Of course. Such a strange human... If he even is one, that is." Undine acknowledged.

"Yeah, he's so weird! It's like he doesn't even exist when you don't look at him!" Sylph added.

Gnome was silent, but the slight nod of her head was enough to express her agreement.

"Indeed, his strange physique is quite mysterious, but it's not the only thing I'm talking about." Salamander disclaimed.

"Hoh... Is there something else?" Undine questioned.

"You've all been with him longer than I have, I'm sure you noticed as well... He's hiding something." Salamander declared.

"Heeeh!? Is he a bad guy!? Should we tell Luka!?" Sylph immediately startled.

Gnome silently lifted a hand to silence her, before turning to face Salamander again.

"I'm not certain. I do believe he cares about Luka and Alice both, but there's definitely something he hasn't told them about... And whatever it is, it isn't anything good." Salamander claimed.

"I see... You organized this meeting to ask us if we have any idea what it could be, since we've been travelling alongside him for some time already." Undine deduced.

"Yes... I don't know him well enough to discern his true motives as of yet, and just in case my assessment is wrong and he turns out to be an enemy, I don't want to tip him off." Salamander confirmed.

"Hmmmmmmmm... Sounds complicated." Sylph lamely concluded after a long thoughtful hum.

"Well, Sylph, you've been with him the longest, haven't you? What have you noticed about him?" Undine questioned.

"Heeeh? Well... He's usually pretty funny! He loves pranks too! And his reaction to my wind was really interesting! It was like he was drunk or something!" Sylph excitedly chattered.

"Woah, back up, what do you mean by that?" Salamander questioned.

"Eh? Oh, the first time I met him I asked the wind about him. It was really weird being unable to feel him, and he looked like he was spacing out or something for a while after, it was really weird." Sylph elaborated.

"That's unusual... Why would he be affected like that?" Undine pondered.

"Maybe... Sylph, did you feel any wind at all from him, even just from his soul?" Salamander inquired.

"Eh? No, not even a whiff. Why?" Sylph asked back.

"Perhaps he was affected not only by the physical component of elemental energy, but also by its spiritual properties?" Undine posited.

"No, that's...! Actually, that might just be possible! Normally a being's innate energy would resist external influences, but if he truly doesn't have any elemental energy of his own, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume large quantities of our power could somehow affect his body and soul..." Salamander elaborated.

"Wait... But if that's the case, then that would mean...!" Undine trailed off in sudden realization.

"Eh? What? What would it mean?" Sylph curiously asked.

"...If our energy can alter his state of mind, then other powerful beings attuned with a single element could also imbalance him. Remember how you told us he behaved in presence of Granberia and Tamamo? He acted cold and indifferent near Tamamo, and blew up in front of Granberia. Both of those reactions were blatantly out of character for him." Undine concluded.

"Yeah, it was a bit scary... It was like he was a different person..." Sylph confirmed.

"Indeed... But I still feel like there's something else..." Salamander muttered thoughtfully.

"...Well, I'd say this is a good chance to confirm this theory. After all, we'll be reaching the castle soon, and all of the Heavenly Knights will be there." Undine shrugged.

"Are you planning on keeping this information from our contractor?" Salamander questioned.

"If this theory happens to be incorrect then there's no reason to distract him from the coming fights. And if it is, it's not like Daniel is likely to die from it anyways, it can just as easily be discussed afterwards." Undine argued.

After a moment of scratching her chin thoughtfully Gnome silently nodded in agreement.

"...Very well. Then I'd say this concludes the current topic... Now, what were you saying about barbarism?" Salamander concluded, her form burning just a bit brighter.

"Ufufufufu..." Undine chuckled, as she prepared for the coming fight as well.

"Wahwahwah..." Sylph frightfully exclaimed, as Gnome silently closed her eyes in resignation...


	49. Chapter 48: Trust and enmity

"Finally, it's time for the Monster Lord's castle!" Luka exclaimed as we left the Sealed Sinners' Prison.

"...Prepare yourself, Luka. The fights in the Monster Lord's castle will be difficult." Alice warned.

"I've been ready for this since the start! Alright, let's go!" Luka resolutely declared, as we started moving towards what he thought would be the final destination of our journey.

Of course, only I knew better than that...

~– ~ – ~

Along the way, I couldn't help but think back once more on everything that I had been through so far on this crazy journey.

It really had been an unforgettable experience, in more than one way...

However, I was always keenly aware that every little change I made to the world's 'standard state' meant absolutely anything, both good or horribly bad could have happened because of it.

Even so, there had been several occasions in which I just hadn't been able to stop myself from interfering reardless...

And as I remembered every single one of those times, my mind was filled with a terrible, formless dread, guilt already welling up inside.

There was no reason to assume that I had irrevocably fucked up the world's future yet, but even a slight doubt was more than enough.

Nevertheless, all I could do was the same thing as always...

Keep moving forward.

Even if it was the last thing I actually wanted at that point...

~– ~ – ~

That night, we made camp for what we knew would be the last time, our objective now at only a few hours' distance from us.

"...This is the last training I'll be having with you two." Alice opened, as Luka and I both prepared ourselves for the final workout session under her tutelage.

"Ah, I guess that's right." Luka said in realization.

I simply closed my eyes and sighed.

"Suitable for our final training, I'll be teaching you both an ultimate skill each. I will start with you, Daniel. Now, watch closely..." Alice trailed off, as she took out a heavy-looking metallic mannequin from her hammerspace, before assuming her human form.

She then cast some sort of spell on it, making it start to move on its own.

"The basis of this technique is similar to Grasping Shadow, in the sense that it's a counter move against a charging opponent. However, this skill is far more advanced and dangerous..." Alice explained, as she controlled the mannequin to charge her.

She then grabbed the mannequin's outstretched limb as it tried to punch her, and instead of stopping its momentum, rapidly pulled it forward, dragging him along using its own power as she performed an incredibly rapid series of full body spins, fast enough to leave behind afterimages, her feet never leaving the ground.

A moment later, she slammed the mannequin on the floor at incredible speed, already poised to perform a Twisting Shadow Hammer on its still falling form.

The impacts were simultaneous and tremendously powerful, the rock below shattering under the force, the mannequin itself utterly and completely destroyed, a huge crater left under it.

"Holy shit..." I breathed in awe at the incredible display of martial mastery.

"...Just so you know, that blow was not even remotely close to my full strength. As you can probably guess, this skill is a combination of the ones I have already taught you, but don't go thinking it will be easy to master it because of that. This technique requires both ferocious power and fine control. It's meant to be a finishing blow the opponent won't walk away from... In the past, many powerful monsters fell to its might, as their own overwhelming power was used against them, making them fall deep into their shadows to never rise again. Thus this skill's name... Shadow Burial." Alice gravely concluded.

I could only stay silent, as I processed the implications behind her words.

This was definitely the sort of technique capable of instantly killing even a being much more powerful than me.

I would have had to be an idiot not to understand Alice's hidden intentions, given what I knew...

But I still didn't have a choice.

Because even if I hated the thought of deceiving her, this skill was exactly what I would need in the coming days.

And even then, it might not have been enough...

"I will give you one more mannequin to practice with. Don't worry about breaking it, they're nothing special." Alice declared, as she pulled out the aforementioned item from her hammerspace and cast the same spell again, making it start to move.

As I assumed a fighting stance, Alice turned back to face Luka instead.

"...Now for your final technique. Your skill is an ultimate attack that uses all four spirits at once." Alice started.

"A... All four at once..?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Just do what I say for now. First, point your sword toward the sky and summon the power of wind into your blade." Alice instructed.

"Alright... I'm counting on you, Sylph!" Luka called out, as he raised his blade, a green power surging towards it.

"Next... Put the power of the earth into your blade at the same time. Of course, without letting the power of wind dissipate." Alice continued.

"Got it... Gnome!" Luka obeyed, his sword filling with yellow energy.

"This is... Quite difficult... What's next...?" Luka asked slowly, trying to keep his concentration.

"Next is water. Like the earth and wind, mix them together in your sword." Alice replied.

"U... Undine... Wawawa...!" Luka exclaimed fearfully, as the resonant energies in his blade started making the world itself tremble around us.

"T... This is... Hard...! Wawa!" he stammered, as his blade started trembling in his hands.

"...Next is the power of fire. Concentrate all four elements in your sword." Alice concluded.

"M.. More...!? S... Salamander... Aiiee!" Luka shrieked, as his sword flailed wildly, barely able to keep his hold on the hilt.

"I... I can't hold on! This is too much!" he yelled out.

"Now slash with your sword." Alice simply ordered.

"Uh... Uwawawa! Hyaaaaa!" Luka exclaimed, as he finally swung his blade, the incredible power within being unleashed all at once.

I had already made sure to be behind his back as he did so, and with good reason.

With a huge explosion, the ground before him was split in two with raging flames around the deep fissure, cold gusts of wind blowing around the area, strong enough to pull my hood down even as I stood in the opposite direction.

"...Well, now I just feel outclassed." I drily quipped.

"Wawa... Th... That was incredible..." Luka stammered, as he overlooked the trench he had just dug, unable to see its bottom.

"This destructive force... That wasn't as powerful as I was hoping for. The earlier power of your attributes was overwritten by the later ones... As far as I can see, wind was a five, earth was a seven, water was a nine, and fire was a ten... With poor balance like that, it won't go so well." Alice dispassionately analysed.

"Oi, oi... I think it went pretty well myself..." Luka protested in disbelief.

"The power of this skill is amplified by each spirit imbued in it. But if all four were at a power of ten, it wouldn't be ten times four for forty... It would be ten to the fourth power for 10,000... This is the ultimate skill, Quadruple Giga." Alice declared.

"Quadruple Giga..." Luka repeated in awe.

"The skill takes a while to pull off. To get all four elements into your sword, it will take about a minute or so. If you get hit in the meantime... Your concentration will fail, and so will the skill. One more issue... When you start that skill, any spirits you have summoned will vanish." Alice elaborated.

"So you mean I'd have to make the enemy stop attacking me for a while somehow...?" Luka questioned.

"Yes, that's right." Alice confirmed.

"It looks like I'll have to figure out a better way to use it before it's viable for a fight... Now, where's the horrible story that goes with it? I've finally learned a move that looks and sounds Hero-like, so I'm sure it's something disgusting." Luka deadpanned.

"Yes... It's a truly disgusting tale among monsters. The Hero Heinrich defeated Alipheese the Eighth with this skill." Alice replied with a teasing smile.

"H... Heinrich did...? He use that to defeat the eight Monster Lord? Thank you, Alice... But how did you even know a skill like this...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"So that we would never experience a humiliating defeat from it again, it has been handed down among Monster Lords since Alipheese the Eighth's death. Ironically enough... It was never passes down among the human side, so it would have been safer to let it fade into obscurity altogether." Alice elucidated with a shrug.

"Until me..." Luka added.

"Yes... I'm entrusting it to you. Make sure you lead the world to peace using it... Got it?" Alice requested.

"Yeah, got it!" Luka assured, as I was busy practicing on my own.

I ignored the pang of guilt I felt, as only I knew what Alice actually meant by those words...

~– ~ – ~

A few hours later, it was time to go to sleep.

And as I entered my tent, I couldn't help but idly wonder if I would live to see the stars again...

~– ~ – ~

The morning after, we wordlessly packed up our camp a last time, and finally walked the last stretch to our objective.

Finally, a huge stone structure slowly became visible over the horizon.

"The Monster Lord's castle..." Luka breathed in a solemn voice, overlooking the grand architecture of Alice's home.

"Outside of how big it is, it looks like a common castle... I was expecting something a little more... Terrifying." he commented.

"I did say..." I shrugged.

"My subordinates and I live here. Why in the world would I ever want to live somewhere unpleasant-looking?" Alice deadpanned.

"...Alright, let's go inside. Are you ready, Alice, Daniel?" Luka asked.

However, I knew Alice had other plans...

And it was likely for the best that I followed her instead, not wanting to interfere with his destiny any more than I already had.

"No... This is where I part ways with you, Luka. I'm the Monster Lord, and I live here. It wouldn't do for me to accompany the Hero as he enters." Alice denied.

"And I really don't think it's a good idea for me to butt in either. I'm not a Hero, I would just get in your way against the Heavenly Knights... That is, if I could even manage to live through the crossfire." I wryly added.

"Ah... I guess that makes sense... Then I'll head in alone." Luka agreed, despite his obvious reluctance.

"Don't worry man, it's not like I haven't been here before. Besides, Alice is gonna be with me, right?" I asked hopefully.

"...Sure. I'd rather avoid you going around my castle unsupervised... You did break that door last time." Alice confirmed after a small pause.

"Oh, come on, that was one time! And I had a really good reason! What could possibly happen!?" I VERY STUPIDLY protested.

"Well then, Luka... Make sure you finish your duty as a hero. No matter how difficult it gets." Alice pleaded in a serious tone, turning towards the young Hero.

"...Eh? Y... Yeah..." Luka agreed, despite his obvious confusion.

I shook off my own guilt once more, and gave my friend a last encouraging smile, as I stepped through the portal Alice had just created, waving back at him before it closed behind me...

I could only hope that we would see each other again.

~– ~ – ~

We stepped out of the portal, and into a familiar room, the monster guards immediately bowing to Alice as soon as they recognized her.

"My Lord. Welcome back." one of them respectfully greeted her.

"At ease. Send a message to the Heavenly Knights. 'The Hero will soon reach the castle, ready yourselves.' is to be the content." Alice ordered.

"A Hero!? We will immediately send word. Hurry up you four!" the guard yelled out, as a small detachment of them running out of the room in different directions.

"What about the human who accompanies you, my Lord? Is he a prisoner?" another guard questioned.

"No. He is my guest. I will personally escort him for the duration of his stay. You all are dismissed." Alice declared.

"...By your will, my Lord." the guards all said in chorus, after a small pause of hesitation.

I just stayed silent, letting Alice's authority take care of things, as we moved out of the room.

~– ~ – ~

Soon after, we were alone, walking (or in Alice's case slithering) along the castle's huge corridors.

"...So, what are we doing now? Are we going to watch from the shadows?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"No... It would hardly be dignified for the Monster Lord to sneak around in her own home." Alice denied.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense... Where are we going then?" I questioned.

"...My personal quarters. They are atop the highest tower." alice replied.

"Got it. I'll try my best not to touch anything..." I wryly assured.

Alice did not reply any further.

~– ~ – ~

"...Yeah, it's official. You're a bloody princess. No way you could convince me otherwise." I drily quipped, as I overlooked the positively luxurious interior of Alice's room.

First of all, the place was HUGE.

Like, you could have fit two elephants in there, and they would definitely NOT have been able to reach neither wall to wall, nor the fucking ceiling, even stacked on top of one another.

The decòr itself was elegant and beautiful, royal purple obviously being the main theme.

A huge window overlooking a magnificent view of the surrounding forests replaced almost completely one of the walls, a gigantic crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

To top it all off, a gigantic canopy bed with purple, gold trimmed obscuring tents attached to it was propped against the inner wall, positioned perpendicularly from the door.

Overall, it was definitely the most sumptuous bedroom I had ever seen, even in movies.

Even so, however, I could tell that every part of it was not meant to be ostentatious per se.

Rather, it tried to give a similar impression to a fancy restaurant, warm and welcoming as it could be...

Ironic, seeing as the greatest glutton alive lived in it.

"...So, what are we doing while we wait for Luka to finish kicking ass? You got any games around here?" I asked curiously, as Alice locked the door from the inside...

Wait, what?

An instant later, Alice's aura surged, her eyes flashing with dark power.

"Uhh... Alice?" I called out in confusion, my nonexistent energy predictably unaffected by her magic.

"...How unfortunate. It would have been much easier for you if that had worked... I suppose I have no choice..." Alice sighed regretfully, before releasing her power again, an oppressive atmosphere spreading from her body.

"Did you really think you could refuse the Monster Lord so many times without any sort of consequence? I have been waiting for this long enough already... I spent months wondering just how you would taste like... What kind of sound you would make... How long it would take before your oh-so-resilient mind would break from the pleasure..." Alice slowly enunciated, starting to slither towards me while removing every bit of her already barely present outfit.

"Hey, Daniel... I'm hungry." she finished, now standing right in front of me, her eyes ones that could only belong to a superior predator looking at its helpless prey...

Which of course, was exactly the case.

Or at least, so it appeared...

Suddenly, Alice lunged forward, her arms wrapping around my motionless form, before she used her immense strength to throw me onto the huge, soft bed.

I landed on my back painlessly, sinking slightly into the comfortable mattress and pillows.

An instant later, her face reappeared above mine, her hands pinning down my wrists over my head in an iron grip, as her lower half slowly moved towards my legs, a strange sound resembling a combination of a low hiss and a bestial growl resounding from her throat.

Inch by inch, her tail coiled around my lower half until it reached my waist, her agile tip undoing my belt buckle faster than the eye could see.

Finally, with a single powerful tug, my pants were lowered, my shamefully half-erected manhood fully exposed.

Alice reinforced her hands' grip on my wrists to the point it became painful, as she strongly hoisted my body into a sitting position, forcefully pushing my back against the tall bedframe.

During this whole process I simply laid unmoving, looking at my captor right in her reptilian eyes with a perfectly neutral expression.

By that point, I was completely at her mercy, unable to get away from her if I wanted to...

Ever so slowly, the Monster Lord's waist approached my own, the low hiss-growl ever increasing in intensity...

However, that was as far as things went, as suddenly Alice's body ceased all movement, the bestial sound fading into pained, heavy breathing.

"...Why... WHY DO YOU NOT RESIST!? I AM THE MONSTER LORD! DO YOU THINK I WILL JUST TAKE PITY ON YOU AND STOP!?" Alice roared furiously, as her grip on my body increased even more, almost crushing me.

"Of course. You're my friend, Alice. I know you won't hurt me." I simply replied.

"Wha... DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO, YOU IDIOT!? I AM THE MONSTER LORD!" Alice yelled out even louder.

"Yes, I know, you've said that already. Multiple times. And really, even if you hadn't ,who else could own a room like this? Seriously, you could fit my entire house in here!" I quipped.

"...ARE YOU REALLY JUST THAT OBLIVIOUS!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!?" Alice questioned incredulously.

"Easy. Absolutely nothing." I swiftly answered.

"...! Y... You..." Alice startled, as her body started trembling.

"Anyways, seriously, DO you have any games in here? There's gotta be something we can do while we wait for Luka to get his ass over here..." I trailed off, as I started looking around the room, even pinned as I still was under Alice's coils.

"...Damn it... I should have gagged and blindfolded him first..." Alice quietly lamented through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, you probably should have... Not that I think it would have changed anything." I smirked knowingly.

"...Damn you... You idiot..." Alice cursed.

"You're repeating yourself again. Besides, I prefer the term 'rotten bastard'. There's a reason people don't pick fights with them... We have an annoying tendency to drag others down to our level, and then beat them with experience." I quipped.

Alice offered no reply, the uncomfortable silence stretching on and on, as I started feeling just a bit fed up by with current position.

"So, I know what I said earlier, but this is still pretty awkward... Can you please at least let me pull my pants back up?" I politely pleaded, blushing lightly.

"...Pervert." Alice insulted me, even as her eyes never left my lower half.

"Hey, my eyes are up here, sister." I drily remarked.

"...You're right. I can't beat you... But I can still just not allow you to interfere." Alice suddenly declared, before her aura surged once again, a portal opening in the air to her right.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked in confusion, as her tail coiled up both my arms, keeping them in position as she used her own, now free, limbs to reach into the wormhole, pulling out a heavy-looking set of chains.

I immediately started struggling, as I instantly realized what she was planning.

However, it was to no avail, as I had absolutely no hope of overcoming her strength and leverage, especially in my current form...

In a blur of movement, all my limbs were swiftly secured to the four solid columns of the canopy, the heavy metal bindings far too resilient to break out of.

I kept trying anyways, the thick wooden poles they were attached to not even creaking slightly.

"It's useless... Those chains are the same kind as the ones my mother used on myself all those years ago... The only way to open them is this key. And this bedframe was my ancestors' as well. The special wood it was carved out by the first herself of can withstand even the most powerful monsters' abuse." Alice explained, as she put the aforementioned key well out of my reach.

I stopped my evidently useless squirming, as she finally deigned to pull my pants back up, before turning her back to me.

"Don't worry. After everything is over, Luka will find you..." she trailed off, before heading towards the door.

"...You know he won't do it, right?" I deadpanned Alice stopping in her tracks for a moment.

"...No, he will. After all... I'm the monster that took his friend from him." Alice ominously declared, as she finally opened the door.

"...! Hey, wait!" I yelled out, but it was already too late, as the wooden frame was slammed shut.

"...Shit." I cursed, tightening my fists in frustration at my own impotence...

~– ~ – ~

It didn't take long for me to grow bored, just laying limply on the admittedly incredibly comfy bed.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a choice, unable as I was to break out of my bindings...

Seriously, those chains were just overkill, I was pretty sure even if I was ten times stronger there would be no way for me to even slightly bend the damn things!

...Oh well, at least I had somehow managed to preserve my v-card once again.

To be perfectly honest, while I DID trust Alice, there was a small part of me that had been utterly terrified during the whole thing, and it had been incredibly hard to ignore it.

Of course, now my most pressing concern was to find a way to...

...

Oh, my god, I was such a fucking moron.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, my limbs slowly becoming thinner and longer, easily slipping out of the previously tight manacles, before quickly returning them to normal.

No matter how many times, it still felt surreal to have such a degree of control over my own body...

Alright, now I had to...

Hm?

Something was strange.

The part of the castle I was in was mostly deserted, the servants likely avoiding being too close to their Lord's private room on purpose.

However, for some reason, my instincts told me that on the other side of the door in front of me there was someone extremely dangerous.

"...Who are you?" I asked aloud, looking towards the wooden frame.

"...Arara, it appears your senses are better than your data gave them credit for..." An unfamiliar female voice replied, as the door slowly creaked open.

I nearly had a heart attack when I finally saw who I was talking to.

Not because I knew who she was, however...

But rather, because I had absolutely no idea.

One thing was for certain, however.

As of that moment, I could safely say that whatever passed for a God in this universe hated my guts...

Or at the very least, that a certain scientist had gotten interested in my secrets.

Whatever the case, as soon as I had seen the Next doll in front of me, I knew I was already fucked.

First of all, I could tell that the base of her body was that of a Lamia, however there were also multiple additions that I knew would make fighting her my worst nightmare.

First of all, she was floating off the ground with no visible support, her long snake-like tail complete with strange metallic-looking spikes running along it trailing behind her like a ribbon in the wind.

Secondarily, she had a total of six strong-looking arms, which combined with her tail meant that if I got caught by her it would be next to impossible to escape.

Lastly, even as she stood right in front of me, her aura felt faint and ephemeral, making me barely able to keep track of her with my aura sense.

"Now then, how exactly did you manage to detect me? I'm supposed to be the perfect assassin, you know? It sort of hurts my pride a bit..." the artificial monster childishly pouted.

"...I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked back, hoping to gain some more information.

"Oh, I very much doubt that... However, I do know YOU! You're the reason I even exist after all..." the Chimera smiled serenely.

"...Ooookay then... Do you have a name?" I awkwardly inquired.

"But of course! I am Renenutet, the latest Next Doll... And your personal nemesis." Renenutet announced.

"...Alright... Sooo, do you need something from me, or..." I slowly questioned.

"Oh my, how polite... Well, there is in fact one thing you could do for me... You see, I'm quite hungry right now..." Renenutet started.

"Well, I do have some food in my bag..." I swiftly interjected, slowly inching backwards, as the Chimera started advancing on me.

"Oh no, that won't do at all... I am FAR too famished to be satisfied with something so... Small..." the monster drawled, as a gigantic mouth spread itself open on her lower half.

"In fact... I'd say you are just about the right size! What a coincidence, eh? Now then, I would advise you to just surrender right away, but honestly?" she continued, as her lower mouth closed.

"I want to enjoy this moment slowly... See your face contort in despair, as you fall deeper into it with evey futile struggle... Your every move already analysed and accounted for... And finally, I want to feel your body break down and dissolve inside of me, too weak to even squirm... After all..." she trailed off, before suddenly appearing behind me, too fast for the eye to follow.

"This fight is the meaning of my existence." she concluded, as I turned to face her, my fist already flying towards her chest.

A moment later I screamed in pain, as an electrical discharge coursed through my body the second I touched her, sending me flying backwards.

"Hahaha, I told you, I am your perfect counter... You can't even touch me. Your precious martial arts are useless on me!" Renenutet mocked, as I somehow managed to land on my feet.

I immediately shut down my senses of smell and taste, trying my hardest to focus on her faint presence while still keeping my other senses trained on her.

Thankfully, it was enough to allow me to predict her next move, as she charged forward, trying to hit me with her multiple fists.

I desperately tried to dodge, but her six-armed blows were far too much for me.

I instinctively attempted to deflect one of them, but again, an electrical current coursed through her limb and into my own hand, my muscles stiffening up for a moment.

A second later, I was sent flying again, impacting the wall, my body already starting to smoke from the repeated exposure to lightning, my bones creaking ominously from the impact.

I spat out a mouthful of blood, knowing that if I had not deactivated my sense of taste and smell all I would be getting from those would be the iron.

"Hahaha, more, struggle even more! Make this a challenge! If you don't, I might just end up eating you right away, you know!?" Renenutet goaded, as I pulled myself out of the crater my body had just created.

An instant later, my silhouette blurred, as I started running at full speed towards the door.

"Arara, I'm not letting you escape..." Renenutet drawled, as she suddenly accelerated in mid-air, attempting to intercept me.

I predicted her path and desperately dodged her grapple attempt, sliding below her serpentine body on my knees.

"Oops... I missed..." Renenutet said, as I leaped towards the door handle.

A moment later I impacted the soft mattress of the bed that suddenly interposed itself in front of it.

"What the...!" I exclaimed in surprise, as the same chains that had bound me before attempted to entrap me once again.

"Oh, darling, did you prepare those for me? I do appreciate it, I didn't think I would get to show off my electromagnetism..." Renenutet smirked maliciously, as I desperately pushed myself away from the canopy bed, the weight of it slowing the chains just enough for me to avoid them clicking around my wrists and ankles.

Unfortunately, now the only exit was blocked.

I turned to face the still smiling form of the Next Doll, as she floated leisurely in the middle of the room.

"Oh? Finally decided to fight back?" Renenutet asked happily.

As much as I hated to indulge her, I knew beating her was indeed the only chance I had.

I knew I had no way to convince her to let me go, nor could I run from her forever.

I couldn't afford to wait for backup either, as I could feel with my aura sense that the invasion was already starting, the castle below me being thrown into utter chaos.

I took a deep breath and focused, shutting down every sense other than aura and touch, the world becoming a dark, silent void in which only I and her existed.

I blurred forward, putting my full power behind a single punch.

Instead of taking it in order to shock me as I had assumed she would, however, my opponent took to the skies, avoiding the blow entirely, as she floated just below the tall ceiling.

A moment later, my concentration was forcefully broken by a blinding white flash of pure PAIN, just in time for me to hear my own scream once more, as I was literally struck down by lightning from above.

"Oh...? You're still conscious? That armor of yours is indeed a good one..." Renenutet said in surprise, as I coughed out black smoke from my fried lungs.

"However, it's a hindrance. And it probably tastes bad too... Let's do without it, shall we?" she grinned, as she instantly appeared before me once again.

I tried getting away, but one of her arms managed to get a hold of a wrist, pulling me off balance long enough for her other limbs to grapple the rest of mine, as she started tearing off the clothes on my upper body, leaving them discarded on the floor.

"There we go. And now... it's time for some more pain!" the monster singsang, before I screamed again, as an unknown amount of electricity coursed through my already exhausted and burned body.

"...You really are quite stubborn, aren't you? Do you really think that a mutant like you could ever compare to me? I am the ultimate product of my creator's brilliance! You wouldn't be able to understand her greatness in a million years!" she yelled out, as I barely held onto my consciousness after what felt to me like hours of torture, but had likely only been a minute or two at most.

"...Mutant?" I asked with a rough voice, my throat sore.

"Yes, mutant. That's all you are. A lucky coincidence. You've done nothing to gain my master's attention, you just so happened to be born the right way!" Renenutet snapped back.

"...! Ah... I see how it is now..." I trailed off in sudden realization.

"That's right... My master spent innumerable hours working on my creation... She painstakingly crafted every single feature of my body, all in order to bring you down... You stand no chance against me! Be thankful, for it's by my creator's will that I will end your miserable existence today! Now, fall in despair, as I swallow you whole!" the Chimera shouted proudly, as her lower mouth slowly opened.

"...That's not really what I was talking about... Though I suppose I SHOULD be thankful indeed. After all... Promestein did likely go through quite some trouble in order to keep me alive..." I ironically disclaimed.

"...!?" Suddenly, the chimera's eyes widened, her body stiffening in shock as she caught up with my last words.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice? All that talk of swallowing me whole, showing off your specs so that you could keep up the facade... You're not an assassin... You're a courier." I deduced.

"Shut up! You're wrong! I won't let you put my master in danger with your lies!" Renenutet yelled fearfully, as she fully spread her predatory organ.

"Oh, it's fine, Ilias isn't watching right now... It's quite unfortunate for you though... I mean, you're clearly proud of your creation and purpose... Your loyalty would also be quite admirable if I wasn't 90% sure it was simply the result of your programming... However..." I trailed off closing my eyes in pity, as suddenly my descent towards Renenutet's lower mouth was halted by four strong tails grasping her upper and lower body, keeping them apart.

"It would appear that your creator was working with incomplete data." I coldly concluded, as I opened my eyes again, my now reptilian pupils reflecting in Renenutet's own.

"What!?" the Chimera shouted in alarm, as I slammed the rest of my tails right onto her chest at full strength, breaking her hold on me and throwing her backwards.

She barely managed to correct her flight path at the last second, avoiding any impact with the wall, before turning around to face me, as I stood before her, now in my true form.

"Wha... What are you!?" she fearfully asked, looking at my new appearance.

"You said it yourself. A mutant. Only, unlike your master assumed, I wasn't always one..." I cooly replied, cracking my neck and shoulders in preparation for round two.

"...No matter! Even if you changed your body a little, you still can't touch me!" Renenutet shouted, as electricity started visibly coursing through her body.

"...Haven't you noticed? Can you see a single wound on me right now?" I asked back.

"...!" Renenutet's eyes widened, as she noticed that, indeed, my previously burnt body had already healed to full efficiency as I stalled for time.

Apparently, limited shapeshifting wasn't the only thing I had gotten from Erubetie...

Well, I definitely wasn't complaining.

"Shut up! If you can regenerate, then that just means I will have to keep electrocuting you until you die!" she yelled out, as she charged a lightning bolt and threw it at me.

However, now that I had access to my wings, my speed and maneuverability was on a whole other level.

I instantly blurred upwards, the energy discharge burning a mark on the wall behind me, as I completely avoided it.

"Just stand still!" Renenutet ordered, as she shot bolt after bolt, missing every single one of them as I moved out of their trajectory and rushed towards her.

I braced myself and threw out a flying Shadow Hammer to her midsection, as she tried to block it with all her limbs.

The impact still sent her flying out of the window, and I immediately rushed after her, ignoring the painful feedback from her lightning armor.

"Argh! You bastard! That's it, no more holding back!" Renenutet shouted, as the strange spikes lining her spine suddenly were shot out, starting to float around her, a stream of lightning connecting every single one of them to form a net of pure energy.

"Every single one of those drones is connected to my immense bioelectricity! As soon as one touches you, I will fry you inside-out!" she threatened, as she moved her arm forward, the spikes following her movement and shooting towards me.

I took a deep breath and shut down my all my senses except touch and aura once again, using my arms, legs and tails to deflect every single drone that aproached me with minimal contact, before flexing my wings and blurring towards my opponent.

I then started unleashing a series of swift and powerful blows with all my limbs on her, powering through the pain her lightning based defences caused me with pure determination.

"Enough!" Renenutet yelled, as a powerful omnidirectional discharge emanated from her body, forcing me back, while her spikes floated back in position around her, the pain breaking my concentration just enough for me to actually hear her words.

"I never thought you could actually push me this far... But it's useless! You still can't beat me! Now, I will show you the true power of magnetism!" she shouted, as her spikes arranged themselves in two parallel rows in front of her, pointing in my direction.

Instantly, my thoughts ran to my limited knowledge of magnetism-based weaponry.

"...Oh, come on, you've gotta be shitting me, a fucking RAILGUN!?" I yelled out in VERY alarmed disbelief.

"...!? How!? No, it doesn't matter even if you know what this is... You still won't be able to dodge!" Renenutet claimed, as she positioned herself in front of the magnetic 'rails'.

"No fucking way..." I lamented, as I understood just what the hell she was about to do.

"It's useless to run. I won't allow you to slander my master any further! I WILL swallow you whole!" Renenutet declared, as her lower mouth gaped fully open once again, large enough for me to actually fit entirely in it.

"Now, come here!" she yelled out, as she started moving through the magnetic rails, lightning connecting to her form and pulling her along.

Instantly I realized this would be my only chance.

Renenutet was right.

There was no way i could move fast enough to dodge her charge.

However, that was not my only option.

I exhaled and closed my eyes, the world returning to a dark, silent void, in which only my body and her magic existed.

And as I did so, my mind was entirely focused on one, single task.

Catch her.

Faster than ever before, the Next Doll shot towards me, propelled by the power of science and magic both.

I was already moving before she did.

I flapped my wings hard in order to gain even just a few centimeters of height, all in order to grab one of the monsters' arms before her gigantic mouth could close over me.

Then, I desperately held onto her limb and PULLED, starting to spin at an impossible speed using the momentum I had absorbed from her magnet-propelled rush.

Purely moving on instinct, I slightly spread only one of my wings, angling it so that the air it moved would propel us both downwards in a mad spiral.

Finally, we were close enough to the castle's roof, and I executed the last part of my ultimate move, flipping Renenutet over and slamming her body down, a Shadow Hammer with added rotation aimed at her chest following suit as I subconsciously let out a powerful war cry.

The impact was absolutely TREMENDOUS, the momentum carrying us both through several floors, as I ignored the pain from my abused Dragon-kin arm.

We finally came to a stop, my opponent's body crushing to the ground, an inordinate amount of dust floating around us as pieces of rubble from the multiple ceilings we had rammed through rained around us...

And as the dust slowly settled, I looked around me to see many different familiar faces, both friendly and not, all looking at me in astonishment.

"What the...!? Daniel!?" Luka yelled out in utter disbelief, as he finally laid eyes upon my true form.

"...Ah, shit." is all I could say in response.


	50. Chapter 49: The other side of the story

(PoV: Luka)

"Alright, here I go!" the young Hero exclaimed, as he started walking alone towards the last destination of his journey.

He would've been lying if he said he was not nervous, but he would not let his friend down.

Daniel had trusted him to accomplish their shared dream even without his help, and Luka would do just that, before finally confronting his comrade's hidden troubles.

As he moved forward, Luka once more went through his list of objectives relating to his future opponents.

First, he would face Tamamo and Alma Elma, and persuade them both to stop troubling humans.

Then he would talk to Erubetie, and show her a new way to coexist together.

Finally, he would battle against Granberia as a fellow warrior.

Even as he thought this, however, the young Hero couldn't help but remember the look in at least three out of four of his future opponents' eyes, as they longingly gazed at his friend...

And, like every time this had happened, Luka sighed deeply, still at a loss on what to do about it.

Nevertheless, the Hero forged on, finally stepping through the gates of the Monster Lord's castle.

~– ~ – ~

"This place is huge... I wonder if this is the right way to go...?" Luka pondered aloud, as he aimlessly wandered the long corridors.

Suddenly, he noticed a presence hiding near him.

"...Show yourself!" he yelled out, as a purple skinned Succubus turned a corner.

"You won't go any further, you delicious-looking boy..." the monster smirked, seductively licking her lips.

"Guh... A Succubus...?" Luka grimaced, gripping his sword tight.

"If you don't resist, I can give you an amazing orgasm... You'll be able to die in ecstasy..." the Succubus drawled.

"Sorry, but I'm going to get through here no matter what!" Luka declared, lifting his blade.

"Oh? You're going to resist? I'm the highest class of Succubus, you know...? I'll let you realize yourself just what that means as I drain you dry!" the monster yelled out, as she charged forward.

Even as he rolled to the side, Luka was already summoning his spirits, fully intent on ending the fight as quickly as possible.

"I just need to do this to milk it out..." the Succubus drawled, as she tried to use her hands to stroke him.

However, Luka immediately slashed at the approaching limb, the monster hissing in pain, as she recoiled back.

Without wasting any time, Luka started wailing on her, his blade flying in a flurry of chaotic slashes.

"Hehe, caught you!" the Succubus laughed, as she suddenly clung to his body.

"Just for you, I'll rape you with my bellybutton..." the monster drawled, as a pink hole opened on her belly, a strange, wet liquid dripping out of it.

"Doesn't my bellybutton just look amazing...? You'll go mad with pleasure in no time once you're in here... Aren't you looking forward to trying it? Hehe" she chuckled, as she tried to use her tail to lower Luka's pants.

However, the Succubus stood no chance against Gnome's overwhelming power.

Without hesitation, Luka shoved the monster off of him, immediately rushing forward and impaling her to a wall with his blade.

"How can this be!? How could I lose!?" the Succubus asked in disbelief, as she was sealed in the form of a bat.

After a brief sigh of relief, the Hero moved forward, proud that the monster had been unable to pose a threat to him thanks to his Spirits.

And, at the same time, he remembered the words of his dear friend, encouraging him to change his fighting style to one based around dodging instead of guarding...

Well, the Succubus had been unable to actually stimulate him at any point, so it counted, right...?

~– ~ – ~

"Is this the right way...? Just where are the Four Heavenly Knights anyway? You wouldn't think it would be this hard to find four powerful monsters..." Luka complained, as he couldn't begin to guess at how to proceed, the long hallways of the castle all similar enough to confuse him.

"...There's no need to worry about that. Those ladies are waiting in the deepest part of the castle." An unfamilair voice suddenly spoke up.

"Wh... Who is it!?" Luka loudly asked, already pulling out his sword.

Suddenly, a woman wearing a red kimono emerged from the shadows, her multiple fox-like tails slowly swaying behind her back.

"Who are you...?" Luka questioned, aware that the monster in front of him was not to be underestimated.

"I am called Yao. The right hand of Tamamo, I'm the strongest soldier of the Kitsune race. Besides Tamamo of course." Yao introduced herself.

"Eight tails...?" Luka counted warily.

"Hehe, why not indulge yourself in my sexual skills? I'd be glad to squeeze out as much semen as you'd like..." Yao drawled seductively, licking her lips.

In lieu of a response, Luka just summoned his spirits, preparing for a fight.

"I'll make you come with my fluffy tail..." Yao grinned, as one of her appendages shot towards his pants.

Taken by surprise at the monster's speed, Luka was unable to dodge, the fluffy tip smoothly sliding into his underwear without even needing to unbuckle his belt.

He slashed away at the tail a moment after, as Yao charged towards him.

"I'll let you feel the warmth between my breasts..." the Kitsune whispered, as she tried to press her chest on his crotch.

This time, however, Luka was ready.

Moving like the wind, he stepped to the side, simultaneously slashing at his opponent's throat.

A moment later, he blurred backwards, swiftly meditating to restore his energy.

"I think I shall rape you now... I have a fun idea I'd love to try, too." Yao laughed, as she jumped him.

Luka immediately flexed his legs, propelling himself upward and dodging the pouncing Kitsune, before filling himself with the power of the earth, dropping down towards his opponent.

The monster was thrown backwards from the heavy impact, her claws leaving a long trail on the ground as she used them to slow herself down.

"Go mad in desire..." Yao commanded, as her pupils flashed brightly with power.

Thankfully, Sylph had Luka's back, and a gust of wind forced him to close his eyes.

He advanced on his opponent, wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star.

Yao jumped backwards, starting to gather her energy.

"Wait just a moment, and I'll send you to heaven..." she smirked, as her power surged.

Luka immediately assumed a defensive position, preparing himself for the onslaught.

At the last second, however, his friend's advice resounded in his ears once again, and he relaxed his stance and let go of his concentration for an instant, focusing his mind on the power of water instead.

"Your penis will love my tail... I'll make sure to play with it until it explodes in joy." Yao declared, as all of her tails shot forward.

Luka, however, was untouchable.

He easily weaved through every single tail, rapidly advancing towards his opponent.

Finally, he quickly put his sword back in its sheath, before releasing a devastating slash, his opponent's energy completely depleted.

"How could I make such a blunder...?" the Kitsune lamented, as her body dissolved into the form of a small red fox.

"Strong enemy after strong enemy..." Luka hummed thoughtfully.

A small smile found its way onto his face, as he felt pride at having been able to follow his friend's sage advice.

"Just you wait, Daniel... I will end this soon..." the young Hero muttered as he moved forward, resolved to repay the many debts he owed his loyal comrade.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Heavenly Knights)

"Ugh... Even Yao was defeated. That Luka certainly turned into something..." Tamamo commented, as she held her aching head, uselessly promising herself to never drink as much as a drop of alcohol ever again...

"The weak Luka-boy... He has really improved." Alma Elma distractedly acknowledged, even as she adjusted her already perfect makeup.

Erubetie was silent, her expression unreadable.

"...Be careful, alright? I don't want you to get hurt..." Sara pleaded, holding her beloved Dragon-kin's hand.

"I will be fine... Now go. This place is going to get dangerous soon..." Granberia reassured her maid and apprentice.

"Alright... Do your best. I will be rooting for you..." Sara acquiesced despite her obvious reluctance, before finally leaving the room.

"...Now then, what shall we do? Luka-boy will most likely make it here." Alma Elma questioned, closing her hand mirror.

"...Letting a Hero just walk on through would shame the name of the Monster Lord." Erubetie emotionlessly provided.

"Guh... I suppose we could use 'that'..." Tamamo grimaced, still holding her head.

"Is 'that' still alive?" Alma Elma questioned in slight surprise.

"It is... I think. Want to give it a try?" Tamamo proposed.

"Sure, that sounds interesting..." Alma Elma agreed with an amused smirk.

Erubetie did not reply, quietly staring to the side.

"Alright then... I'll go ahead and reactivate it... Ugh, I really hate hangovers..." Tamamo lamented, as she walked out of the room, headed towards the storage.

"...You better come challenge me, Luka!" Granberia loudly exclaimed.

'And then... It will be time for me to challenge myself.' she mentally added.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Luka)

"Uwa, this room is huge... Am I almost at the deepest part?" The young Hero wondered aloud, as he overlooked a large hall.

Suddenly, he felt a chill running down his back.

"Wh... What is it!? Is it getting close to me...? Just what was that?" he exclaimed, as a powerful aura appeared within his perception.

He startled, as he noticed a shadow moving in a corner of the room.

"S... Show yourself!" he yelled out, as he drew his blade from its scabbard.

"Wawa! He saw me!" a small voice shouted fearfully, as a tiny figure came out of hiding.

"Wah! A Hero...! What should I do...? I wasn't able to run away..." a small girl with bat wings and a pointed tail lamented, trembling fearfully.

"An Imp...? Then it wasn't from her, was it?" Luka sighed in relief, referring to the powerful aura he had felt.

"What should I do...? I could never beat a Hero who managed to make it all the way here... H... Hey... I'm really weak... S... So... You aren't going to kill me... Right?" the Imp timidly pleaded.

"Of course, I'd never hurt a monster who doesn't bother humans." Luka assured.

"Oh no, that means you're going to kill me... I've teased a lot of humans before..." the Imp lamented.

Luka just silently stared at her.

"Hey, hey... I'll stroke your penis, so let me go, okay? It's a little hard since I have tiny hands, but it will feel good, I promise... So just be still for a little bit, okay?" the small monster pleaded, as she slowly closed in on him.

"...Ya." Luka lamely voiced out, halfheartedly swinging his sword at the approaching monster, as she desperately dove to the side.

"Kya!? Just a little closer, and I thought I was going to die!" she yelled fearfully.

"No... You would only be sealed, you wouldn't die..." Luka disclaimed.

"Yo... You don't want a handjob...? Th... Then how about a blowjob...? I'll lick you the best I can with my tongue... But it's kind of small... So you have to stay still, okay?" the Imp offered, advancing again.

Once more, Luka swung his blade, the little monster rolling out of the way.

"Hyaa! That was dangerous! I was going to make an exception and even lick your penis, too... Th... Then how about my breasts...? I can sandwich your penis between them, and play with you... If you stop moving for a moment, I'll do it for a looooong time too! You want to try it, right? ...Right?" the Imp asked in an unsure tone, moving forward again.

Luka just slashed again in mild irritation, the Imp scrambling away once again.

"Waaah! Why are you ignoring my offers!? Then how about we do some perverted stuff? I'll let you use my vagina as much as you want! I'll do the best I can and shake my hips as hard as I can! So please, be still for a moment, okay...? ...Okay? Gyan!" the Imp yelped, as finally Luka's sword connected, turning the small monster into an even tinier bat.

"Sheesh... I have to finish up here before I cause more trouble for the other monsters..." Luka sighed, before stepping forward once more...

A second later, however, the ceiling in front of him caved in, a gigantic monster falling down along with the rubble.

"Wh... What the hell is this!?" Luka yelled fearfully, as he overlooked the gigantic creature before him.

The beast's body was massive in size, electricity sparking over the furred exterior, muscle bulking beneath.

Its eyes betrayed no emotion, as her long tail swished through the air, horrible tentacles writhing at its tip.

"Wawawa! It's going berserk! Guh..." a familiar voice yelled out, before wincing miserably.

"T... Tamamo!?" Luka shouted incredulously.

"Ugh, not so loud... This Giganto Weapon is a biological weapon created 1,000 years ago during the great Monster Wars. It was too powerful, so it has been sealed all this time." Tamamo explained.

"...A ...A biological weapon!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Consider this your last test... If you can't defeat this, you'll never beat any of the Heavenly Knights. And with that... I'm off!" Tamamo concluded, standing up on the monster's back, wincing one last time before vanishing through a portal with a backflip.

"TARGET OBTAINED. DESTROY." the Giganto Weapon droned, as she started advancing menacingly towards Luka.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, as he braced himself for the imminent fight.

He immediately summoned both Sylph and Gnome, his body becoming filled with their power.

"PACIFY TARGET WITH TENTACLES." the monster droned, as a myriad tentacles shot forth from her body.

Luka wildly slashed at each approaching appendage, barely able to keep up, before blurring forward with a Lightning Sword Flash.

"ATTACK D. DESTROY AREA." the Giganto Weapon droned, before releasing a terrifying bestial roar, causing the nearby walls to crumble.

Luka barely managed to cover his ears in time, and avoided the follow-up blow, retaliating with a Earth Rumbling Decapitation to the monster's chest.

"ATTACK B. RUSH." the monster droned, as she started rampaging around the room, trying to ram her body against everything.

Luka barely managed to get out of her way, but even a glancing blow would have been enough to send him flying.

When the monster finally stopped, the Hero immediately rushed forward, his blade flying out of its sheath in a Serene Demon Sword aimed at his opponent's neck.

The Giganto Weapon jumped backwards, landing in a crouching position.

"ACTIVATE SEMEN EXTRACTION CONTAINER." she droned, as her tailtip opened, revealing a strange hole.

Imediately, Luka switched summons to Undine, barely avoiding the tail as it shot towards him and retaliating with a Death Sword Chaos Star, the monster finally collapsing on the ground.

However, it was not over just yet.

"DAMAGE TAKEN. ENTERING CRISIS MODE. BEGIN SELF-PRESERVATION ROUTINE." the badly damaged monster droned.

"Eh...? I didn't beat it...?" Luka asked in surprise.

"BEGIN REGENERATION." the Giganto weapon droned, as her wounds started visibly healing.

"Wh... What the!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"DAMAGE RESTORED. BREAK CRISIS MODE. RESUME NORMAL OPERATIONS." the monster droned, as she got back up.

"No way...!" Luka grimaced fearfully.

He lifted his sword again, but suddenly he felt Salamander's energy rise within him, the spirit's voice resounding in his head.

"It looks like the enemy can regenerate herself somehow. You probably won't be able to beat her unless you start damaging her faster than she regenerates." the living flame commented.

"But my skills..." Luka lamented, as even his most powerful technique had evidently not been enough for the job.

"You should be able to use it now. A skill that infuses your sword with the flames of hell, and unleashes a flurry of chaotic attacks." Salamander declared.

"That same skill Granberia used...?" Luka's eyes widened, as he understood what the spirit was asking.

However, could he really pull it off...?

"INCINERATE." the monster droned, as flames shot out of her mouth, rushing towards the young Hero.

Luka scrambled out of the way, before lifting his blade again.

No, it didn't matter whether ot not it was possible...

He would do it, for the sake of he and his friends' shared dream!

"Lend me your power, Salamander! Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!" the Hero called out, as he rushed forth, his blade igniting with hellish flames as he swung, slashing his opponent in a veritable whirlwind of blazing flames.

"CRITICAL DAMAGE TAKEN. REACTOR SHUTDOWN. ABORT." the Giganto weapon droned a final time, as she was sealed in a form resembling a lion.

Finally, it was truly over...

"Whew... I managed to beat her somehow... But... Just what was she...?" Luka wondered aloud, as he recovered his breath.

At the same time, he couldn't help but idly wonder if his knowledgeable friend would have known anything about it in his place...

"...I'd do better not worrying about it at the moment. I have to keep going." the Hero finally declared, shrugging off the distracting thoughts, before walking forward.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Ilias)

As her Hero defeated one horrible monster after another, the Goddess was once more soothed by his brilliance, hopeful that he would, indeed strike down the damnable woman in the end.

However, she was also feeling slightly regretful at being unable to see for herself the lowly thief's inevitable demise...

Thankfully, Promestein's Next Doll was indeed everything the Goddess had commisioned it to be, up to and including the ability to record her memories and replay them indefinitely.

Oh, how she would enjoy seeing him exhale his last breath over and over, as his body was racked by the most terrible of pains, melting to nothing inside her subordinate's creation...

Though, for some reason, that last part bothered her a little bit.

Sure, it was the most slow and painful death she could imagine, and she could easily harvest his soul afterwards, but something irked her about the fact he would die while inside someone other than... Huh?

No matter.

It was unimportant.

All that mattered to the Goddess was that she would finally be able to embrace HER LUKA after the damnable woman was finally dealt with!

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Promestein)

As she finalized the last of the necessary adjustments to her latest creation, the scientist had to be very careful not to show her growing excitement.

It had been easy to implement the black-box protocol the Goddess had requested on the Next Doll's brain, despite the suddenness of the idea...

In fact, it had been so easy that she had also been able to secretly do it for all others at the same time, as the setup truly was quite convenient for covertly gathering information.

The hard part had been creating the false memory necessary to deceive her into thinking the body of the mutant truly would have been destroyed...

Thankfully the solution had been easy enough to implement, once she finally thought of it.

All she had to do was secretly give her creation a different corpse to dissolve and then create a program to edit the memory so that it was registered as immediately subsequent to the mutant's collection.

"Master..." Renenutet called out, as she awoke from her slumber, now ready for deployment.

"I've finished adjusting the conductor drones. You should already possess full control over them, as well as imparted knowledge of various possible uses." Promestein announced.

"Thank you... I promise, I won't disappoint you, Master! I will accomplish my mission, no matter what!" Renenutet smiled happily.

Truly, it had been a good idea for Promestein to program her creations to be unflinchingly loyal to HER instead of the Goddess, despite the inherent risk...

"I know you will. Now, your target is within the Monster Lord's castle. From our readings he should be within the Monster Lord herself's private chambers. You will have to infiltrate the castle undetected, and avoid raising any alarms. I doubt anyone but the Heavenly Knights, the Hero, or the Lord herself would be able to stop you, but it would be a problem if they were alerted to your presence before the fight was over." the scientist explained.

"Yes, Master... I will move as a silent shadow. It's why you gave me as little actual magic as possible, after all..." Renenutet tralied off in admiration.

"Yes, well, enhanced natural bioelectricity is much more efficient an energy source in this particular case. Your opponent has outstanding sensing capabilities, but your energy signature is remarkably similar to the ambient energy in Hellgondo, so it should be impossible for him to detect you." Promestein elaborated.

"Of course! Master is a genius after all, there's no way that anyone could ever discover me!" Renenutet proudly assured.

"I will be counting on you. Now go." the scientist ordered.

"Yes, Master!" the Next Doll immediately complied, entering the portal leading to just outside the Monster Lord's castle.

The scientist exhaled, as the scripted conversation finally came to an end...

Now, all she had to do was wait.

Soon, she would get her hands on the deceptively invaluable specimen.

She was already looking forward to the various tests she would perform on him...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Alice)

Even as she watched the Hero's image disappear through her vanishing portal, the Monster Lord felt no emotion, for she had no right to them...

No, rather, she had no need for such useless things.

She dismissed her loyal guards, secretly letting them know of her true intention through a coded hand-sign, the human being none the wiser.

He still did not realize her plans, stupidly following her all the way to her private quarters, where they would not be disturbed...

Finally, it was time.

Time, for her ultimate betrayal...

She didn't expect her magic to work on him, not really.

But it would be enough for her to send the message that she was serious.

She knew he would understand...

He had seen through her when she had done the same thing to Cassandra, after all.

However, this time, things would be different.

He wouldn't be able to stop her, no matter how hard he tried.

She had spent days preparing for this battle, anticipating his every possible move.

It had been far easier to do so against his martial arts rather than his words...

She shamelessly took advantage of his stunned state to throw his body on what had been her dear mother's bed, once again knowing he would likely realize that.

Then, she instantly used her full speed and strength to restrain both his arms, unwilling to let him get away.

However, despite purposefully leaving him just a little bit of hope for her to crush by not restraining his legs at the same time, the human didn't even try to struggle.

She let him know just how useless his precious protective gear was, effortlessly exploiting her stolen knowledge of the belt's mechanism she had been subtly observing for some time.

She exposed him without hesitation, and she was pleased to see that not even he was able to suppress his instincts as a man...

She slammed his back on the hard bedframe, completely denying him any sort of leverage.

And yet, even helpless as he was, all the human did was blankly stare at her, not even a trace of any plea for mercy to be either heard from his lips or seen in his eyes...

The Monster Lord lashed out in rage, as she realized she was being mocked, her heavy resolve not even so much as acknowledged.

Finally, the human opened his mouth to speak...

Instead of asking her to stop, however, he just insulted her further.

How DARE this HUMAN call her a FRIEND, of all things!?

She was the MONSTER LORD!

Then, the human spoke up again, joking with her as if everything was normal.

No way...

Even for him, this was...

Just how far did things have to go for him to finally realize the situation!?

There was no possible way he could misunderstand her intentions at that point, right!?

She couldn't help but ask, unable to ignore her doubts.

Without hesitation, the human swiftly replied to her incredulous inquiry.

And Alice's blood chilled in her veins, as she realized the hidden message behind his words...

It didn't matter how far she would go.

It didn't matter how much she would hurt him.

He was never going to bend, never going to break.

And he would not allow himself to become an obstacle between her and Luka.

He would simply deny anything ever happened, and the Hero would believe him without question.

Once again, Alice had lost to Daniel before the fight had even started...

However, she could not give up yet.

She still had to fulfill her mother's wish.

And there was only one way she could do that now.

True, she had no chance for her word to be taken over his...

However, that was only if he was able to give it in the first place.

It didn't matter if she never would be able to win against him...

If that was the case, all she had to do was make him unable to win either.

Thus, the Monster Lord left her own room, leaving behind the one man in the world she would never be able to touch...

After all, it would hardly have been possible for her to actually lay with someone she considered a brother.

Though she had to admit, after seeing what she had after lowering his trousers, she now understood a little better how so many of her subordinates had seemingly been smitten by him...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Luka)

At last, the long corridor Luka was progressing through came to an end.

And in the large hall near the very center of the castle, he finally found the four people he was looking for, as their familiar figures stood in the middle of it.

"Welcome, Luka-boy! Congratulations on making it all the way here! ...Ara?" Alma Elma enthusiastcally greeted him, before starting to look around in confusion.

"Uuuu..." Tamamo grimaced at the Succubus' loud voice, holding her head in her hands.

Erubetie quietly observed the young Hero, her expression perfectly neutral.

Granberia silently opened only one of her eyes to look at him, before suddenly blinking in surprise a couple times.

"Um... Luka-boy... Are you here on your own...?" Alma Elma suddenly asked.

"Uhh... Yes?" Luka uncertainly replied.

"Ah... I see..." Alma Elma trailed off, her wings slumping a little behind her back.

Granberia's expression turned dejected for a moment, before she quickly recollected herself.

Erubetie's eyes narrowed, as her eyes met the Hero's for a moment, Luka himself meeting her gaze in confusion.

Tamamo just glanced around at her fellow Heavenly Knights, before loudly groaning again.

"...Ahem. Well Luka, you managed to beat the Giganto Weapon. I suppose now you will have to face all of us." the Kitsune declared, bringing everyone's attention to the real topic at hand.

"...I didn't come here just to fight you. I just want you all to stop harassing humans. I think that would be best for relations between humans and monsters..." Luka started.

"...Sorry, but I can't do that. If we don't threaten humans with our power every so often, they'll eventually start to go around killing weaker monsters everywhere." Alma Elma denied.

"Humans look on us with nothing but hostility. As long as that hatred is there, we'll be forced to use our power..." Tamamo added.

"...After all the torment humans have put us through, how can you say that now?" Erubetie accused.

"You wasted your time if that's what you came here to say..." Granberia concluded.

"I was hoping we could solve this just by talking... But if not, I knew I would have to resort to this..." Luka sighed, as he calmly pulled out his sword.

"You'll only recognize those that are powerful, right? Then I'll surpass all of you! I'll defeat you, and make you accept coexistence!" the young Hero proclaimed.

"That's right... Defeating us is one way for us to be persuaded. If you can really defeat me, I'll think about it." Alma Elma smiled, as she stepped forward.

"So I'll be your first opponent. Just like I said before, I want to play with you... With my hands... With my mouth... With my breasts... With my pussy... I will feel Luka-boy's penis with every part of my body." the Succubus Queen seductively drawled, as her aura surged.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, barely managing to keep his cool.

"By the way, I heard you awoke to a Serene Mind... I wonder which one of us is faster? Don't you just want to find out?" Alma Elma playfully winked.

"As usual, always playing around... But that isn't a skill to use right from the start! It takes a lot of concentration to calm..." Luka started protesting.

"I don't like difficult strategies like that. Let's ignore all that, and just go right to the fun." Alma Elma interrupted, as she moved forward.

Wary of his opponent's strength, Luka instinctively drew on Undine's power, his movement changing to a flowing dance.

"Hmmm... So that's it? You look funny swaying like that, Luka-boy. Let me try." Alma Elma smirked, before blurring forward at an impossible speed, slipping a hand in Luka's pants before he could react.

"Ah...!" Luka exclaimed, as his concentration was forcefully broken.

"Oh my... It seems my wind is faster than your water. Even if you read the flow of my movements, it doesn't help if I can still move faster than you. Our speeds are too different, so you'll never be able to evade me." Alme Elma commented.

"N... No way...!" Luka stammered in disbelief, as his most powerful evasive technique was effortlessly broken.

Then he immediately summoned Gnome, preparing himself for a defensive battle instead.

"You're a lot better than you were before... But you still can't use that wind of yours well, Luka-boy. Can't you hear the wind crying...? It wants to play with you so badly, but you're just ignoring it..." Alma Elma pitifully lectured.

Luka stopped for a moment, as he once again remembered his friend's previous words about the Succubus...

"'Not that bad', huh..." he quoted in a low whisper.

"Hm...? Did you say something, Luka-boy?" Alma Elma tilted her head curiously.

"...No, it's nothing." Luka dismissed, before closing his eyes in concentration, Sylph's energy surging through him.

"...I'll try harder! As long as I'm with Luka, I can try my best! So believe in me, Luka! Listen to my voice, and go crazy with me!" the spirit of the wind pleaded.

"Yeah... Got it. I'll run with the wind together with you, Sylph!" Luka yelled out.

"Hehe... So you can hear it now? Now come on, we'll both play with the wind. Let's have a contest seeing who's faster." Alma Elma giggled excitedly.

"Sylph, rage around as you please!" Luka called out, as a devastating gale coursed through his body with the power of a raging hurricane.

"I... Incredible... This is the true power of the wind...!" the Hero stammered in awe, feeling like his body itself had become one with the very air araound him.

"Then shall we see who's faster? I want to see if Luka-boy is just as quick as I expect." Alma Elma singsang, as her hand reached out for Luka's waist again.

However, her fingers closed over nothing, as the Hero blurred away, moving as if carried by the wind.

"Hehe... It seems like we're about even." Alma Elma giggled.

An instant later, the Hero charged forward, his blade slashing towards his opponent.

"Ouch... You hit me..." Alma Elma grimaced at the sudden pain, as the attack finally connected.

"Not bad, Luka-boy. You seem to be just as strong as I am now." the Succubus laughed, as she dusted off her mantle.

"Oh well... There's three more after me, so I'll give this victory to you." she happily concluded, starting to walk back towards the group of her fellow Heavenly Knights.

However, this time Luka would not allow himself to accept his opponent's pity.

"...You always surrender quickly, Alma." the Hero accused.

"Oh, is that so...?" Alme Elma asked back, stopping in her tracks.

"...Before the fight, you said you would be my 'first opponent'. Someone planning on winning wouldn't have said 'first'. Were you planning on losing right from the very start? To surrender whenever you saw a chance to do it? You're always playing around, never taking anything seriously... Your wind is empty, and it has no meaning." Luka continued, remembering their previous encounters.

"Even though you're so strong, why are you so scared of fighting? Do you hate fighting seriously that much?" he finally asked.

Alma Elma's eyebrows raised in surprise, before she closed her eyes in thought for a moment.

"...What are you trying to say, Luka-boy?" she questioned.

"...I won't accept a victory like that. I must make you accept me! That's why I'm fighting! So you have to fight seriously too, Alma! I won't let you cut any corners this time!" Luka strongly declared, lifting his sword.

Alma Elma was silent for a moment, before sighing loudly.

"...Really now, I wanted to show this off to him later... Oh well, I suppose this is an opportunity to ask for a second opinion, at least." she muttered, too quietly for the Hero to hear.

"Hm?" Luka blinked in confusion.

"Aren't you the little Hero. You've become something great, Luka-boy... No, Hero Luka." the Succubus Queen corrected, as she took off her outer garments, revealing a thin, black, extremely erotic negligee.

"If you're going to go that far... Shall I fight you seriously? Me as a Queen Succubus, and you as the Hero!?" Alma Elma asked loudly.

"...Just as I wanted." Luka confirmed, after a slight hesitation, forcefully tearing his eyes away from his opponent's revealing clothing.

"...Just as a reference, do you think this dress is cute? I had a really hard time deciding on it..." Alma Elma suddenly inquired.

"...! How should I know!?" Luka incredulously yelled back, blushing heavily.

"Hehe... I hope he likes it too..." Alma Elma muttered again, before charging forward.

Immediately, Luka jumped high in the sky, his blade falling down on the Succubus like a meteor.

"My breasts bring a dreamlike pleasure with them..." Alma Elma drawled seductively, as she pressed her chest on the Hero's crotch, immediately before being stabbed in the shoulder by his blade.

Luka backed up, rapidly restoring his energy with a quick meditation, before blurring towards his opponent in a Lightning Sword Flash.

"What do you think? This is a Queen Succubus' hand technique..." the mosnter smiled, as she quickly used her hands to lower the Hero's pants.

However, before she could actually stimulate her opponent, the Hero kicked her away, making some distance and pulling his trousers back up.

"I'm going to make you writhe in ecstasy with my tail..." the Succubus drawled, as she blurred forward, her tail quickly wrapping around the Hero's body.

"Now... I'm going to devour that penis of yours with my tail. I'll suck on it so hard, you'll be left completely dry..." the monster spoke in a sultry voice, as her tailtip moved towards her captive's crotch.

Immediately, Luka started struggling fiercely, the power of the earth coursing through him.

Unfortunately, the Succubus' hold was too powerful to break out so quickly.

"Give yourself to me... I'll squeeze out all your semen... Untill you're dry..." Alma Elma kept enticing, as her tailtip sucked in the Hero's member.

However, Luka would not give in to the temptation.

He forcefully grabbed the tail and pulled it off of him, a wet smack resounding from the act, before finally managing to unwind his bindings and unleash a Serene Demon Sword on his surprised opponent.

The Succubus Queen fell to her knees, her energy almost completely depleted.

"...It's my loss this time. I fought seriously as the Succubus Queen." Alma Elma declared in a serious voice, finally ending the long-standing conflict with the Hero.

Luka was overjoyed, as he had finally took the first step...

Only three more were left, until he and his friends' dream was achieved.

"Hehe. The loser has no choice but to follow the winner. Human and monster coexistence... That's why you're wielding your blade, right?" the Succubus asked with a smile on her face.

"Yes that's right. But it's not just my wish..." the Hero trailed off for a moment, the succubus blinking in realization and blushing lightly.

'...Oh Ilias...' the young Hero couldn't help but inwardly pray for his friend's future.

"...Anyway, I want you to help think of a way that doesn't involve terrorizing people..." Luka continued, getting back on topic.

"...I got it, I'll obey... Besides, it's not like I particularly hold any dislike of humans. I'd be so sad if the Coliseum were to go away... And I love human men so much!" Alma Elma agreed, hugging herself and blushing even more at the last sentence, as her mind formed the image of one of them in particular...

"...I believe in you." Luka declared, turning towards his next opponent.

Out of the group of remaining Heavenly Knights, a small figure stepped out.

"Guh... You're quite something, to defeat Alma Elma..." Tamamo acknowledged, trying her best to appear dignified despite her obvious throbbing headache.

"...Are you okay?" Luka couldn't help but ask.

"It's fine, it's not like it's my first time fighting while hungover... Anyway, I would advise you not to underestimate me. The moon is the source of the Kitsune race's power. And today is a full moon..." the Kitsune declared, as her aura surged with the power of the earth, her aura appearing to Luka like a giant mountain.

"My tiny body is full of the power fo the earth. Do you think you can possibly damage me?" she asked in a proud tone.

"I just have to surpass it!" Luka resolutely replied, as he summoned his own power of the earth.

"Ha!" Tamamo exclaimed, as she slammed her fist on Luka's chest.

Instantly, the Hero was sent flying backwards, his defense utterly devastated byt he terrifying blow.

"Guha!" he coughed, as he barely managed to catch his breath.

"It's not over yet!" Tamamo yelled, preparing another blow.

Instantly, Luka summoned the power of Sylph, barely managing to dodge the Kitsune's tackle, as she landed headfirst into the floor, cracks and spinters appearing around her.

"Wh... What a hard head..." Luka couldn't help but comment, as the Kitsune got back up.

"...Oooww... I really shouldn't have landed head-first..." Tamamo lamented, as she held her throbbing temples.

"...Are you really ok?" Luka deadpanned, before shrugging it off and quickly meditating, the wound the previous blow inflicted on him starting to disappear.

An instant later, he dove to the side, as Tamamo's tail smashed apart a pillar close to him, bringing down a section of the ceiling.

"Wh... What power..." Luka grimaced, as he shot forward, finally going on the offensive.

However, his blade was utterly unable to damage the Kitsune's defenses, harmlessly bouncing away from her soft-looking skin.

"Guh... My attack didn't work!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"My powered up body is the same as a mountain. There's no way that weak attack would even make me flinch." Tamamo proudly boasted.

"Haha, watch out!" the monster laughed, as she curled her teils around her into a spherical shape and started rolling towards Luka.

He desperately dodged, the wall behind him smashed through by the veritable fluffy boulder.

"Hmph... Oi, Tamamo, didn't you tell me to avoid destroying the castle so many times lately? Your subordinates are not going to liek this, you know..." Granberia pointed out with an annoyed expression.

"What? ...Oh, damn it! Luka, why didn't you do something!? I already feel like crap without needing to increase my workload, damn it!" Tamamo complained.

"How is this my fault!?" Luka incredulously protested.

"Guuu... Quit moving around!" Tamamo yelled out, as her tails swiftly coiled around her opponent's body.

"Guh...!" Luka grimaced, as the hold on him tightened painfully.

"There. Now that you're caught, this fight is over. Give up already, and help me fix this mess." Tamamo harrumphed.

"W... Who would ever... Give up!?" Luka yelled back, struggling as hard as he could.

However, the fluffy tails might as well have been steel cables, for they did not budge an inch.

"You'll never defeat my tail with power of that level. If you don't use Gnome's power to its full extent, this wil be your end..." Tamamo declared, as her hold tightened even more.

"Guh... Damn it!" Luka cursed, struggling even harder, to no avail.

"...Did you forget what I said before? The image you have is the most important part of controlling the power of the earth. If you had only imaged yourself as a giant mountain, you could have escaped from this so easily..." Tamamo lectured.

"Even if you say that, I... That kind of image..." Luka weakly protested.

"...Are you about to give up?" Tamamo questioned.

"I... It's impossible..." Luka replied.

"...Just what's impossible, you idiot? You're the man that moody Gnome has accepted as her master. And the Hero that Alipheese the Sixteenth accepted... Think back. Just who are you? Why did you come here? Was your resolve always this easily shattered? ...Would your friend give up in a situation such as this?" Tamamo kept pressing.

Luka was taken aback by his opponent's words, but at the same time, he felt Gnome's power shifting inside him.

He knew what he needed to do.

"...! I... I'm a Hero! I came here to stop the hatred between humans and monsters from getting worse!" Luka resolutely shouted, as the earth Spirit's power surged through him once more.

That's right, he was a Hero...

And he had come so far for the dream he and his friends believed in.

There was no way he could lose!

"Uoooooo!" the Hero yelled out in a loud war cry, as he forcefully ripped out the appendage binding him with incredible power.

"Ahh! My fluffy tail!" Tamamo yelped, as the tail piece faded away into nothing as soon as it touched the ground, a tiny burst of magical power swiftly creating a replacement.

"...Hmph, that was quite something. But was that just an accident!?" the Kitsune yelled out, as she punched Luka in the chest.

This time, however, the Hero did not even flinch.

"T... This power..." Luka stammered in awe, feeling the immense weight of the earth empowering him.

"Hmmhmm... It looks like brute force attacks won't work any longer... Oh well, it looks like I'll have to resort to pleasure attacks." Tamamo commented, as she swiftly discarded her outfit, revealing her childish body.

Immediately, Luka jumped up, his blade falling towards the smal monster with the weight of the world behind it.

"Ouch! ...You've really become quite something. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to take damage. There's no more going easy on you. From here on out, I'm serious!" the Kitsune declared, as her aura surged once again.

"Let's go!" Luka yelled out, as he charged forward.

He swung his blade quickly, the wind enhancing his speed, as the Kitsune crouched in front of him.

"I'll suck on it as much s I want." the monster singsang, as she lowered his pants and tried taking in his member with her mouth.

However, Luka quickly interposed his blade, forcing Tamamo to dodge the swing directed at her eye.

An instnt later, Luka blurred backwards, pulling his pants back up before shooting forward in a Lightning Sword Flash.

"I can still press your sensitive tip against my nipples..." Tamamo drawled, as she pressed her chest on Luka's crotch.

Luka immediately started wailing on her with a Death Sword Chaos Star, devastating her defenses.

"Hmmhmm... To be pushed this far..." Tamamo grimaced, as she jumped backwards, before suddenly her aura surged, her wounds instantly healing a great deal.

"Guh...! You recovered!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"Not so loud... Besides, you've been doing it too. And I can't use this as often as you do... That meditation of yours is almost cheating..." Tamamo complained.

Luka charged forward, his blade in its sheath, before rapidly slashing forward towards the monster's neck.

"How about my finisher!" Tamamo yelled, as all of her tails shot towards Luka's waist at the same time in a cylindrical shape.

Luka immediately blurred away, barely avoiding the dangerous technique, before taking the monster by surprise with a Lightning Sword Flash, followed by another Death Sword Chaos Star.

"Hmmhmm.. I've been pushed into a corner... Oh well, it's time for a bold move!" Tamamo declared, as her tails shot forward and created a hole in the castle walls, moonlight shining through it.

"Eh...? What are you doing?" Luka asked.

"...Uuuu, I will have to fix that too, later... Now, I'll show you my secret skill!" Tamamo proclaimed, as her tails spread out and absorbed the moonlight, her aura surging.

"W... What are you doing!?" Luka asked fearfully, as he took an evasive stance.

"Here it comes, my ultimate attack!" the Kitsune shouted, as a beam of pure energy shot from the tip of her tails, all converging on Luka.

However, moving like the wind, the Hero barely managed to avoid the deadly attack, as it made yet another giant hole in the wall.

"I... I dodged it..." Luka sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Hrm... It missed... And created even more work for me, damn it!" Tamamo yelled out, as she collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.

"I give up... I can't fight any longer... Uuuu..." the Kistune declared, holding her aching head.

"...Are you sure you're okay?" Luka asked in concern.

"Ehrg... You've really become quite strong. I can't stand against you any longer." Tamamo replied, as she slowly got up.

"Is that the truth...? If you haven't used your full power..." Luka trailed off in an uncertain voice.

"...In my village, humans and monsters are on good terms. Betting on your dream doesn't sound too bad... Ugh." Tamamo shrugged, before holding her head again.

"...Yes, I'll be counting on you." Luka concluded, as he turned towards the two remaining Heavenly Knights.

Without saying a word to the Dragon-kin, the Slime Queen stepped forward.

"Are you going to be next?" Luka questioned.

"Yes... But before that, I have a question." Erubetie declared.

"...? Sure, no problem. What do you want to know?" Luka easily agreed.

"...Where is the other human that travels with you, right now?" Erubetie asked in a neutral tone, after a single moment of hesitation.

"...Eh?" Luka exclaimed, as everyone else in the room instantly turned to look at the Slime Queen in complete surprise, before quickly hiding their reaction from each other, paying close attention to the Hero's next words.

"...Well? Not going to answer?" Erubetie pressed.

"...Ah, no, he should be with Alice, they came to the castle together through her portal before I did... But, if you don't mind me asking, why did you want to know?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"...It doesn't matter. Or rather, there's now way you don't already know, so you're just lying." Erubetie suddenly scoffed, her tone turning hostile.

"Eh? No, I..." Luka tried.

"No more talking. I will not be deceived by your trickery, human. I'm different from Tamamo and alma Elma. There will be no foolish attempt at training you. Nor will I be a fool and try to do anything less than crush you." the Slime Queen declared, as her aura surged.

"I'll never go easy on one of you intruding humans... You humans who have caused so much harm to us Slimes, are unforgivable... I will make all humans understand our pain... Starting with you!" Erubetie concluded, as she charged towards Luka.

Immediately, Luka summoned his spirits, his body becoming infused with the power of earth and wind both.

"How long can you endure my slime?" Erubetie scoffed, as she lobbed a ball of transparent slime on his crotch.

Luka barely managed to dodge the attack, retaliating with a rapid series of slashes, not leaving the Slime enough time to regenerate completely.

"I'll rub it all over your body..." the Slime Queen declared, as she spread herself towards her opponent.

Luka quickly backed off, slashing away at the tendrils of slime reaching for him.

"...You speak of coexisting with humans... But do you simply not realize how long we have suffered at the hands of humans? Undine, whom you begged for power from... She herself was driven to the edge as the area humans took up continued to grow. Along with us Slimes, there are many other monsters sufffering the same fate... As you humans grow, we die! Is that what you mean when you talk about us living together!?" Erubetie accused.

"...Humans don't understand monsters at all yet. The overwhelming majority don't even know about the troubles they are causing you. But, as we come to understand each other..." Luka started.

"Understand what!? If they are ignoring our pains, then why should we care about theirs!? We shall instill fear in them, and show them the pain they showed us! Then we shall see just how long they can remain ignorant of our suffering!" the Slime Queen interrupted, as she still tried to entrap her opponent.

"Erubetie... Have you ever tried appealing to humans directly? Telling them just how much your race has suffered?" Luka asked, even as he slashed away at his opponent's body.

"What could humans possibly understand about our pains!?" Erubetie scoffed.

"They'll understand... Humans aren't stupid. If they know the pain you're in, many will come to your aid! If a step is never taken to resolving the issue, how can you expect it to ever get better!?" Luka yelled back, as he unleashed a chain of chaotic slashes on the slime around him, before blurring forward towards Erubetie's main body.

"Melt away in the giant wave..." Erubetie demanded, as a massive tsunami of slime surged towards Luka.

Immediately, Luka sheathed back his sword, before unleashing a vertical Serene Demon Sword, splitting the wave in two.

"Undertanding... Coexistence... I'm sick of these hypocritical words... And I'm sick of your fake ignorance! Just admit it! You know the reason your friend isn't here is because of me!" Erubetie accused.

"...Eh?" Luka exclaimed in confusion, stopping in his tracks for a moment.

"Stop playing dumb already! I know he told you, so your plan to stop me from fighting at full power has already failed! Just admit it!" Erubetie kept pressing.

"...What the hell are you talking about!? I WANT you to fight at your full power, I already got both Alma Elma and Tamamo to do the same, why would I want such a hollow victory after coming so far!?" Luka incredulously demanded.

"Lies! Just stop lying and say it! You already know what I did to him, so stop hiding it!" Erubetie shouted furiously, as she charged towards her opponent.

"What...!?" Luka exclaimed in confusion, as he suddenly found himself trapped in a prison of slime.

"I will show you how useless your trickery is! Now, drown in the pleasure of my body!" the Slime Queen commanded, as she completely submerged the Hero within her body.

Luka immediately started struggling, holding his breath as he kept furiously slashing the slime in an attempt to create an opening.

"Now to squeeze you... Let me see you writhe in an agonizing pleasure! ...!" Erubetie yelled, as she used her whole body to smother the human within her.

However, she stopped for a moment, as she noticed her trembling slime arm...

"No! I won't lose! It's all a lie! It has to be!" she shouted desperately, as Luka's eyes widened, the slime around his chest suddenly tightening enough to make a few bubbles of air escape his lips...

And then Erubetie was suddenly back on the edge of her brethren's last sanctuary, watching the life fade from the form of the human drowning himself inside her own body.

Suddenly, Luka's body was ejected from the slimy prison and thrown against a wall, utterly bewildered, but otherwise unharmed...

And as he turned towards his opponent, his eyes widened, as Erubetie was now hugging herself, breathing heavily and trembling incontrollably, clearly in the middle of some sort of panic attack.

"...Why... Why can't I just hate him!? He's just a human, like all the others! There's no way he could understand my people's pain! There's no way he could forgive me for trying to kill him...!" Erubetie shouted desperately, before her eyes widened as she overlooked Luka's absolutely stunned expression, mirrored by every other Heavenly Knight.

"No... I won't fall for it! I will crush your cowardly deception with the full power of the Slime Queen!" Erubetie proclaimed, as her body divided into three different copies.

"Guh... Which is the real body?" Luka asked fearfully.

"None is an illusion, nor any is fake! I can simply divide my body itself as freely as I wish! Now, writhe in agony in the hell of pleasure only a Slime can bring!" Erubetie declared, as all of her copies rushed towards the Hero.

Luka desperately weaved through the different bodies of the Slime, slashing furiously at the last of them.

"It's pointless!" Erubetie shouted in a chorus of one voice, as her body divided again, another perfect copy taking the place of the one Luka had just destroyed.

"It's useless, no matter how much you attack... I'll just keep on dividing forever!" the Slime Queen yelled out, as she charged him again.

"Guh...! Does that mean it's a stalemate...?" Luka grimaced, as he slashed away at the approaching bodies, Erubetie simply dividing and dividing every time one of them fell.

"...Then all you have to do is defeat all of her bodies at once. Fill your sword with flame, and let loose on them." Salamander's voice resounded in the Hero's mind, as her power surged through his body.

"...! Yeah... Let's give it a try!" Luka exclaimed, as he closed his eyes and concentrated, his blade suddenly igniting in hellish flames.

"...That's no good. You need to put more of your fighting spirit into your sword. Otherwise, you'll never defeat Erubetie..." Salamander declared.

"B... But.. More than this...?" Luka asked in disbelief, already feeling like his power was at its limits.

"...Why did you pick up that sword of yours? Wasn't it to fix the mistakes of those like Erubetie?" Salamander questioned.

"...! You're right... But... That's not the only reason I have to do this. Erubetie!" Luka called out to his opponent.

"...What do you want now, human!?" the Slime Queen answered in a wary tone.

"Let me guess... Back at Undine's Spring, you met Daniel, didn't you!? You attacked him, and he didn't fight back at all, didn't he!?" Luka deduced.

"...! I knew it! He DID tell you!" Erubetie yelled bitterly.

"No, he didn't! Until you told me, I had no idea you two even knew each other... But after hearing about it, it's just like him to do something like that! Do you have any idea how many times Daniel recklessly threw himself in harm's way in order to save others!? It's absolutely maddening being his friend, and I can never manage to stop him from doing something stupid... But you know what!? He never fails to correctly judge someone! He always manages to find the good in people! And, every time, he fully dedicates himself to bringing it to the surface, no matter what he has to go through in order to do so!" Luka recounted, his blade blazing brighter and brighter with every word.

"So, you say you tried to kill him... You say he did not fight back... And what I hear is that he tried to save you, because he saw the good in you! And now it's my turn to finish what he started! Salamander, purify everything with the flames of purgatory!" the Hero yelled out, as his blade erupted in a blazing inferno.

"...! Shut up, you damned human! I won't believe your lies! No matter what you say... I'll never live in peace with you humans!" the Slime Queen shouted back, as she recklessly charged.

And as Luka took a familair stance, the spectating Dragon-kin's eyes widened slightly.

"Be purified in an explosion of crimson fire... Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!" Luka called out, as he swung his blade in a whirlwind of hellish flames, hitting every single one of the Slime Queen's bodies at the same time.

"Ah...!" Erubetie exclaimed, as her dividing technique was forcefully canceled, her divided bodies all falling back into normal slime and reforming into one.

"...It's not over yet. For the sake of my race, I will not lose... I cannot lose!" she desperately yelled, as she once more charged towards Luka, managing to entrap him within her body once again.

"Wh... What are you doing!? You don't have the energy to keep fighting, right!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"I said it's not over yet... I'm going to blow myself up, with you right here next to me..." Erubetie declared.

"Wh... What did you say!?" Luka yelled out incredulously.

"This isn't just a mere self destruction... It's an ultimate skill, designed to turn every piece of my body into pure energy. At point-blank range, not even a single cell will remain of you..." the Slime Queen explained, as her energy surged, her body starting to radiate extreme heat.

"Wh... What are you doing!?" Luka fearfully asked, a shiver running down his spine from the terrifying energy slamming into him.

"Stop it, Erubetie! If you make such a huge explosion, you'll kill a bunch of innocent monsters!" Luka pointed out.

"That's right, what are you thinking!?" Alma Elma agreed.

"Quit that right now!" Tamamo demanded, her fur raised like a frightned animal trying to appear bigger.

"...Leave this continent quickly. This explosion will cause a chain reaction, and annihilate the entire continent." Erubetie commanded to her fellow monsters.

Luka was about to yell out again, before he suddenly stopped, as an idea entered his head.

"Haha, let's count down, Hero... We'll meet oblivion together!" Erubetie laughed bitterly, as her energy surged even more, the heat from her body increasing in intensity.

"...Go ahead." Luka replied, after a long pause.

"Haha, ten, nine...!? What... Did you just say?" Erubetie startled, as she caught up with the trapped Hero's last words.

"I said, 'go ahead'. Explode. Kill me. Kill my friend, who's in this castle right now... Do it." Luka encouraged.

"...You think I won't!? Do you think I'll change my mind just because you say you WANT me to do it!?" the Slime Queen asked incredulously.

"Of course not, that would be stupid... You're not going to do it because you're a good person." Luka simply answered.

"...Huh!? What the hell are you talking about!? I'm literally about to kill you and destroy a whole continent! How am I a 'good person'!?" Erubetie questioned in utter disbelief.

"My friend trusts you. And I trust him. So, you can't be a bad person. It's that simple." Luka calmly explained.

"...! You...!" Erubetie startled, as she started shivering incontrollably again.

"...See? I knew you wouldn't do it." Luka smiled, as the Slime Queen noticed she had unconsciously stopped the fusion process behind causing her self-destruction.

"...This is pointless." Erubetie declared, after a long moment of silence, as her slime backed away from the Hero's body.

"Hehe... I knew my words could reach you... Or rather, the words I KNOW Daniel would have used in my place, haha." Luka chuckled happily as he was released from his prison, inwardly both proud and grateful about having such a great friend to both look up to, and learn from.

"...That's not it. It's just that I realized, nobody would benefit if we killed each other here. Not to mention the explosion would also kill some of my brethren..." Erubetie disclaimed.

"...Hey, Erubetie. Coexistence doesn't mean you're forced to live together in the same place. If the two sides negotiate, habitation zones can be set up to ensure that your race's homeland never gets polluted... As long as we live in peace and understanding, I'm sure it can work out. Both sides just have to respect the other's wishes. I think that would be the best thing for our world..." Luka patiently explained, Erubetie quietly listening.

"First, I'll appeal to humanity. That your race has been driven into a corner, and are suffering... I'm sure that if I talk to the right people, they'll help." the Hero declared.

"...Hmph. I'm not expecting much. But I suppose I don't have a choice... Say, can I ask another question?" Erubetie suddenly requested.

"Eh...? Ah, sure." Luka agreed.

"...Do you know if your friend... Is seeing anyone?" Erubetie timidly asked, once again making everyone else in the room turn to her with wide eyes, before hiding their reactions from each other.

"...Uh, I... Don't think so...?" Luka slowly replied, despite his surprise.

For once, Tamamo was glad to have a hangover, as she at least had an excuse to hold her throbbing forehead with both hands, groaning miserably...

"I see... Thank you." Erubetie concluded, before she started moving towards the group of defeated Heavenly Knights.

Luka's gaze followed her steps for a few seconds, before he snapped out of his reverie, and turned to face his last remaining opponent.

Seriously though, just how...?

"So you're the only one left, huh...?" Luka commented, getting back to reality.

"...Yes. I'm last." Granberia confirmed, as she stepped forward.

"Past here is the Monster Lord's throne... As you know, Alipheese is not there. Thus... Your purpose will be achieved if you defeat me." the Dragon-kin declared, pointing to a large door behind her.

"Yes... This is the last battle!" Luka proclaimed, as he lifted his blade once more, ready for what, he knew, would be the final challenge.

"This is it, Granberia! You'll have to stop attacking humans once I win!" the Hero resolutely yelled out

"Yes, attack me with everything you've got! Show me everything you can do!" Granberia requested.

"I'd have shown you even if you didn't ask... All of the power I've gained on my way here!" Luka strongly agreed, as he summoned the power of water, his movements becoming a flowing dance.

"A serene state of mind... It is impressive to have reached that state in such a short time... However!" Granberia suddenly raised her voice, as she charged forward, her blade slashing towards the Hero's body, following the flow of the world.

Luka instinctively yelped in surprise and jumped back, but even the glancing blow he received was enough to snap his concentration, Undine's power fading.

"Your heart isn't yet perfect... Your serene mind still has patches of fog in it!" Granberia scoffed.

Luka grimaced, as he blocked the swordswoman's follow-up swing, sparks flying between their crossed blades.

"You can't be done yet. I'll defeat every spirit you have!" the Dragon-kin proclaimed, as she threw her opponent away.

Landing on his feet, Luka immediately summoned Sylph, his speed increasing exponentially, as he blurred forward.

"I see, those are some impressive movements... But!" Granberia shouted, as she stepped forward with a swift thrust, Luka barely managing to avoid a fatal blow by throwing himself to the side, wincing in pain.

"Your speed is indeed impressive... But in the end, you're still a human. Even if you're quick, I can read the flow of your heart before you even start to move!" the Dragon-kin lectured.

Switching tactics, Luka summoned Gnome, his body now as durable as a great mountain.

"Now your blade can't damage me!" Luka declared, as he assumed a defensive stance.

"Hmph... Do you think my attacks so light!?" Granberia scoffed, as she swung her greatsword with incredible force, the blow smashing the Hero's chest and sending him sliding on the ground for several meters.

"Guh...! No way...! That should have repelled all physical attacks...!" Luka grimaced, as he tried to catch his breath.

"You may have heard it from Alipheese already... But I competed for the Monster Lord's Throne in the last selection. At the time, most of my sword attacks were nullified by the power of earth... I realized then just how much training I still lacked." Granberia acknowledged.

"...Hmph. It wasn't quite fair last time." Tamamo confirmed.

"I trained so as to never suffer that humiliation again! Now my sword can cut through even a mountain! Don't think that defense will protect you from my blade!" the Dragon-kin declared, as she swung her blade again, Luka barely managing to offset the heavy attack.

Deciding there was no point in prolonging the dangerous fight, Luka immediately summoned Salamander, his blade igniting with the flames of purgatory.

"Such a nostalgic flame... Hold that flame in your blade, and hit me with your best skill! No... The skill you copied from me!" Granberia requested, lifting her blade in preparation.

"Lend me your power, Salamander! Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!" Luak called out, as he slashed forward in a whirlwind of flames.

"Hm... That's it!?" Granberia asked condescendingly, as she used a Death Sword Chaos Star to effortlessly parry every single one of the Hero's swings.

"No way...!" Luka exclaimed in disbelief, as his most powerful technique wass offset by an inferior one.

"In the end, it's a skill copied from me... Though I must say, it isn't weak by any means. It may be an inferior copy, but it's still my skill... You are likely the only human swordsman in the world capable of using it." the Dragon-kin acknowledged.

Luka was silent, holding his sword in both hands and desperately trying to think of a strategy against the overwhelmingly superior opponent in front of him.

"...I've seen the power of the spirits. For there to be a human to hold such power in their weak body... Matching the legendary Heinrich's power is no small feat... Be proud, Luka." Granberia commented.

"There's nothing to be proud of if I lose! I came here to win, not to be praised!" Luka yelled back.

"Hm... A commendable feeling. But as you are now, you can't beat me." Granberia proclaimed.

"Grgh...! You said my serene mind still had fog in it, didn't you!?" Luka questioned angrily.

"...That's right. Even if the skills have the same name, our mastery of it is far different. Without clearing that fog, your blade will forever be dulled!" Granberia confirmed.

Luka gripped his sword even tighter, gritting his teeth.

"...Your dreams will die here if you lose now. Your battles and pain will all have been for nothing." Undine's voice spoke to the Hero.

"Yeah... That's why I'll win. I absolutely must win!" Luka replied with single-minded determination.

"...Then call me once again. That conviction in your beliefs will supplement your heart. With that desire filling your heart, it will blow away any fog still remaining. At that time, your serene mind will be unmatched!" the spirit declared, as her power surged.

Luka closed his eyes, relaxing his stance, as he took a deep breath...

And as he focused on the power of water, his mind ran back to the moment his friend had entered the battlefield for the first time, throwing himself against a superior opponent without hesitation, before gracefully weaving through the Lamia's wild swings.

It was only after obtaining the power of Undine for himself that Luka understood just what had happened back then...

And now, it was his turn to throw away all hesitation and focus only on the opponent in front of him!

"There can be no hesitation in my heart! Undine!" the Hero called out, as all unnecessary thoughts utterly disappeared from his mind, his world now one in which only he and his opponent existed.

"Oh... So, is this the real fight? Very well! Show me your abilities!" Granberia requested, as Luka's wounds closed, his current state close enough to meditation that his body reacted the same.

The Dragon-kin rushed forward, swinging her greatsword with immense strength and grace.

However, Luka easily let the huge blade glide over his own, deflecting the blow and retaliating with a masterful slash.

"Splendid...!" the Dragon-kin acknowledged, as she quickly backed off, passing a scaled hand over the wound on her side.

"Yes... I've finally made it. To your same level... No, above you!" Luka declared.

"Oh, so you think to be my superior now? Then let us cross swords and see!" Granberia challenged.

"Just what I planned on doing!" Luka accepted, as the two blade masters clashed.

Sparks flew all over, as the dance of war continued, neither contender giving an inch of ground.

Suddenly, the Dragon-kin moved back, grasping her blade in a familiar stance.

"Can you keep up with my movements!?" Granberia questioned, as she stepped in, executing a powerful Bloody Fissure Thunder Thrust.

"No way... My skill...?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief, as he barely managed to deflect the attack, receiving a glancing blow.

"...It's not that I'm borrowing your skills. These techniques are just the most powerful of the Cursed Sword style. Alipheese taught you these skills to begin with, didn't she? In order to train you..." the Dragon-kin disclaimed.

Luka nodded in response, inwardly thinking of how grateful he was to Alice for all she had done for him...

Then, he charged forward, his blade quickly returning to its sheath before being drawn again in a slash too swift for the eye to follow.

The Dragon-kin took the blow, unable to fully parry it, receiving yet another heavy wound.

Granberia slashed forward again, unleashing a Death Sword Chaos Star that Luka parried with his own Vaporizing Rebellion Sword, before receiving a surprise blow from his opponent's Earth Rumbling Decapitation and being thrown backwards, his feet sliding on the ground.

"...I grow weary of this bout. Let us settle this with a single attack! Deciding victory with our strongest attacks... Isn't that the way true warriors clash!?" Granberia proposed, as the Hero recovered his footing, his wounds slowly healing.

"You got it!" Luka agreed preparing to unleash yet another whirlwind of flame.

"...No, that isn't it. I know you hold some other technique." Granberia denied.

"Ah... But that's... I can't use it in a fight... It takes too long to prepare." Luka explained, inwardly not at all surprised that his opponent's intuition had been spot on.

"...I don't care, I'll defeat it. Let us decide this with a final attack! Show me everything you've got!" the swordswoman declared, calmly lifting her blade.

Acknowledging his opponent's resolve, Luka let the spirits' power fade from his body, before lifting his blade to the sky...

"Come, Sylph!" he called out, as he filled his blade with the power of wind.

"A skill that attacks with razor wind..? No, that isn't it..." Granberia muttered, as she minutiously analysed the Hero's movements.

"Come, Gnome...!" Luka continued, as the power of earth entered his blade as well.

"The power of earth, as well...? Oh, and it isn't over yet?" the Dragon-kin kept speaking.

"Come, Undine!" Luka called out, as the power of water took hold in his blade.

"I see, so it's that kind of technique..." Granberia said in realization, completely engrossed in her calculations.

Luka smirked, as he was once again humbled by the swordswoman's complete dedication.

"Come, Salamander!" he concluded, as a fiery energy entered his blade, the world itself trembling at the combined might of the four incarnations of nature.

"You seem to be finished..." Granberia deduced.

"Yes... Here I come, Granberia!" Luka confirmed, as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, barely restraining the incredible power within.

"Come, Hero!" the Dragon-kin yelled back, as the two simultaneously unleashed their most powerful skills.

""Vaporizing Rebellion Sword/Quadruple Giga!"" the two called out, as their blades clashed, a terrifying impact shaking the very air around them...

And finally, the battle was over, as the Heavenly Knight of fire was sent flying backwards, crashing through multiple stone columns and ending up embedded on the wall, a large crater spreading around her from the impact.

"Splendid...!" was all Granberia could say, as she fell to the floor on one knee, barely even conscious, and definitely unable to fight any further.

"I... Won...?" Luka slowly asked, unable to believe the sight in front of him, as the last remnants of power left his blade.

"Yes... it's my loss. That was a truly wonderful attack..." the Dragon-kin confirmed, as she slowly managed to get up, sighing in slight self-reproach.

"At last, all four..." Luka exhaled in wonder, as he turned to look at the various opponents he had just defeated.

Alma Elma looked fidgety, for some reason, as she adjusted her makeup...

Tamamo kept holding her head, subtly glancing at her fellow monsters from time to time, and sighing whenever she took her gaze away from them.

Erubetie looked thoughtful, her eyes closed in quiet contemplation.

And Granberia was seemingly in the process of collecting herself, as if preparing her heart for yet another fight...?

"Alright... Don't trouble humans any longer like we promised. In return, I'll make it so humans stop troubling monsters..." Luka requested.

"...A soldier doesn't go back on their word. You have my promise." Granberia assured.

"Sure..." Alma Elma distractedly agreed, still looking at herself in her hand-mirror.

"...Meh, I've always wanted to be friends with humans anyway." Tamamo shrugged.

"Humans have done us great harm, and made us suffer... But..." Erubetie started, before suddenly, an incredible amount of magical power flooded the room.

"This power... Her Majesty?" Alma Elma blinked in surprise, as she recognized the familiar aura.

"Alipheese? What is she doing here...?" Granberia questioned.

Suddenly, an amplified version of Alice's voice resounded through the large hall...

"Welcome Luka, victor over my four Heavenly Knights... No... Welcome, Hero. Now, appear before me! The Monster Lord who rules over the monster domain!" Alipheese the sixteenth commanded.

"Wh... What are you talking about? Alice!?" Luka called out, as the door to the throne room slowly opened.

"Alice!?" Luka repeated, as he started running towards the open door.

"Wait, Luka!" Tamamo shouted, only for the Hero to ignore her and run through the passageway leading to the heart of the castle, as the door quickly sealed itself behind him, stopping anyone else from following...

~– ~ – ~

As he stepped into the throne room, Luka's eyes immediately focused on Alice's familiar form sitting on the long chair at the end of the hall.

The Monster Lord stared at the hero with cold eyes, as if they were meeting for the first time, any trace of familiarity between them seemingly gone with the wind.

"...Hero. Well done making it here. I am the Monster Lord, Alipheese the sixteenth." Alice introduced herself in a grand voice.

"H... Hey! Quit joking around, Alice!" Luka yelled angrily.

"Now then... You came to defeat me, didn't you? Take up your sword, Hero! Burn the power of the Monster Lord into your eyes!" Alice declared, as her energy surged.

"Cut it out, Alice! I'm not going to fight you! I beat the four Heavenly Knights, it's already over!" Luka denied.

"...No, Hero. It isn't. In fact, it has barely begun..." Alice disclaimed.

"...What? What are you talking about, Alice!?" Luka incredulously questioned.

"You've done well, defeating the Heavenly Knights for me... Now that they are weakened, it will be a simple matter to replace them. Those four have been thorns in my side for far too long. For all that they claimed to be my subordinates, I know they would not have followed my true will, after all..." Alice dispassionately commented.

"...What? What's that supposed to mean!? You KNOW those four are loyal to you! Besides, they all already promised to support coexistence after I beat them!" Luka incredulously countered.

"Of course they did... And that's exactly why they are a hindrance." the Monster Lord explained.

"...Huh?" Luka exclaimed in complete befuddlement.

"...Have you not realized yet? I suppose my acting skills are better than I thought... Or maybe you are just that stupid, huh...?" Alice trailed off, sighing in annoyance.

"Did you really think the Monster lord could ever accept humans? That I would ever allow such a travesty as your precious 'peaceful coexistence' to come into being!? There's a limit to your arrogance, human!" the Monster Lord declared.

"What...?" is all Luka could say in response, his brain failing to actually process his friend's words.

"...Are you truly that daft? There's no way humans and monsters could ever be equals! What 'understanding', what 'coexistence'!? It makes my skin crawl in irritation just thinking about it!" the Monster Lord raged.

"But... Your mother..." Luka automatically voiced out.

"My predecessor was a fool! She was a disgrace to the name of the Monster Lord! And in the end, she got what she deserved, as her foolish dream was shattered by me!" the Monster Lord furiously shouted, slamming her fist on the arm of her throne, cracking the stone beneath.

"No way..." Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"I had planned to rectify her mistakes after becoming the Monster lord myself, and finally start subjugating the humans in earnest... But I did not expect those four to show up. I did manage to win the throne, of course, but I knew that if I was to enact my real intentions and invade the human lands, they would not have stood for it. They all were just too soft, despite their professed loyalty... Even Erubetie, for all that she declared to hate humans, would not have followed me for long." the Monster Lord recounted.

"B... But..." Luka stammered.

"...You're still in denial? You've been deceived, you idiot. You, and your friend both..." the Monster Lord scoffed.

Luka's heart dropped in his chest, as he realized that, despite Alice being there, Daniel was nowhere to be found...

"...Alice... Where is Daniel?" he asked in a quivering voice, not daring to allow himself to draw conclusions.

"...It's truly quite unfortunate... I only meant to have a small taste... I did not expect him to be quite that vulnerable to my energy drain... A regrettable oversight." Alice sighed.

"What... Do you mean...?" Luka slowly questioned.

"Ahh, I really should have realized it earlier... There was a reason behind him refusing my body so many times... Oh, well, I suppose he had a unique taste, at least..." the Monster Lord concluded with a small smirk as she licked her lips.

Luka just stood frozen in stunned silence, completely unable to accept the reality in front of him.

He was suddenly pulled back to it, however, as he heard Alice's mad laughter, his eyes meeting hers for a moment, her expression one of malicious glee.

A second later, the enragd Hero was charging forward with tears in his eyes, and a plain iron sword in his hands...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Ilias)

As her Hero finally was ready to confront the damnable woman, the Goddess was already looking forward to the moment she would realize how big of a mistake she had made, trying to steal him from her with the lowly thief's help.

She knew that her Hero would never disappoint her, after all, though she did still prepare for the eventuality in which the second part of her plan could become necessary.

She had expected the damnable woman to challenge him, of course, she had known the damn snake's intentions from the start.

She did not however, expect the preceding conversation to proceed quite that way.

Especially the part about the thief dying at her hands.

Ilias blinked in confusion for a moment, as she processed the implications.

Then, as her Hero charged forward, the Goddess erupted in fury at the damnable woman once again for DARING TO TAKE WHAT WAS HERS, the voice in her head utterly silent...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Alice)

As Luka charged towards her, Alice inwardly sighed in relief.

The first part of her plan had worked.

Now, all she had to do was keep up the act until it was over...

The Hero summoned his spirits even as he ran, his body filling with power beyond human.

The Monster Lord dodged the first blow, retaliating with a swipe of her tail even as she rose from her throne, towering over the short human in front of her.

This situation was immediately reversed, as the Hero jumped high into the air, dropping towards her like a falling meteor.

Alice took a glancing blow, her resilient body taking almost negligible damage from it, before she used her magic to summon the fires of hell, throwing them towards her opponent.

As predicted, the Hero simply bisected the flames with his blade, before rapidly charging towards her, his silhouette blurring as his blade stabbed towards her.

Alice was unable to dodge completely, a long wound opening on her side.

Immediately, she retaliated by using her immense power to try and slow her opponent's movements by flash-freezing the room, but a rapid whirlwind of flames completely nullified her technique, inflicting heavy damage on her instead.

Alice quickly backed off, her aura surging as she prepared for a powerful attack.

Instinctively sensing the danger, the Hero paused, assuming an evasive stance just in time, before the Monster Lord unleashed a devastating barrage of magicks.

Step by step, the Hero weaved through each and every one of them, getting closer and closer...

Finally, it was time.

As the Hero moved right in front of her, his blade already in its sheath, poised for a technique that, she was sure, would be able to take her head, Alice closed her eyes, not expecting to ever open them again...

However, the awaited slash never came.

"...Why do you stop? Are you still clinging to your ideal of never taking a life? Are you truly that foolish?" The Monster Lord scoffed, even as the Hero held his blade to her throat.

Luka did not reply.

"...Do you think you could make me yield to your will, same as those four? You're wasting your time. I won't ever accept humans. It doesn't matter what you say or do. If I leave this room alive, I will start my campaign, and finally conquer the whole world... Are you truly enough of an idiot that you don't understand that?" the Monster Lord mocked.

Finally, the Hero opened his mouth to speak.

"...Indeed, I am an idiot. I truly am a huge idiot, falling for such a stupid lie, even for a single second! But you want to know who's an even bigger idiot than me!? The woman dumb enough to make up something that idiotic in the first place FOR MY SAKE!" Luka shouted furiously.

"...! Wha... What are you talking about!? I am the Monster Lord! How dare you..." Alice started incredulously, as the conversation derailed out of her control.

"Just drop the act already! It's useless! Do you really think I don't know why you're doing this!? Enough with this stupid facade!" Luka yelled angrily.

"...You think this is an act!? Just face reality already, you idiot! I am the Monster Lord!" Alice strongly declared.

"...Yeah? So what? Sure, you're the Monster Lord... But you're also the world's greatest glutton. You're scared of ghosts to the degree that you would faint while standing up if one appeared in front of you. You're a kind person who always strives to make the world a better place... And most of all, you're my friend, Alice. No, you're more than that..." Luka enumerated, closing his eyes in reminiscence.

"...Hah! Do you really think any of that is true!? It was all an act, you idiot! Humans are nothing but food, I am scared of nothing, especially something so unscientific as ghosts, and all the things I did were in order to manipulate you into weakening those four in my stead! And my name is nothing like Alice! I am Alipheese the sixteenth, the Monster Lord!" Alice shouted in a loud shriek.

"No... You are Alice. And there's a simple way for me to prove that..." Luka declared, as he sheathed his iron sword.

The Monster Lord immediately backed up a few paces, her aura surging again in preparation for another magic barrage.

"...You idiot! You've lost your only advantage! Now you...!" Alice stopped, as the Hero simply started walking towards her, uncaring for the power she was emanating.

"Now, remember, Alice... You can't resist this." Luka reminded her.

"...! What are you doing!? Stay back!" Alice shouted fearfully, as she unleashed a spear of ice that missed the Hero by a few inches.

Luka just kept walking at the same pace, completely ignoring the failed attack.

"No! Don't come here!" Alice yelled, as a storm of fire was unleashed from her, her magic once again sailing over the Hero's head, leaving him completely unharmed.

"No... Don't... Stay away from me!" Alice shouted, as the Hero now stood right in front of her...

Then, without hesitation, Luka put his arms around Alice's shoulders in a gentle hug.

"...See? I knew it." is all he said, smiling proudly, as Alice did absolutely nothing to remove him from her.

"...Uuuuu..." Alice lamented, her shoulders dropping as she once again realized just how outmatched she was...

Both by Luka, and by her freakishly farsighted prankster of a brother.

Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds, as Alice's facade completely crumbled, bitter tears born of impotence trailing her cheeks...

"Alice... You keep piling all these duties and responsibilities on yourself, all while ignoring everything around you... Just what do you think is going to happen if you just went and died?" Luka questioned.

"...If the Monster Lord is slain by the Hero, everything will change. Everyone will know that monsters can't fight a war against humans any longer. It is naive to think that this world can attain peace without a sacrifice..." Alice explained, finally dropping the act in favor of a last attempt to convince the Hero to end her using logic.

"...I think that line of thinking is the one that's too naive. Did you forget about Plansect Village, Alice? What do you think would happen if news of the monster's leader suddenly dying got out? It certainly wouldn't lead to peace. Rather, a new age of oppression against monsters would begin..." Luka argued.

Alice was silent, unable to refute his words.

"Once the leader that holds them together is lost, what are the monsters going to do? You know best of all, don't you?" Luka pressed.

"But if I don't fall here... My... My mother truly would have died for nothing..." Alice pointed out, latching desperately to her last hope.

"...Sorry, but I think your mother's method was flawed from the start." Luka countered.

"What was that!? You dare insult my mother!?" Alice lashed out in anger, before rapidly turning away from Luka's face, blushing heavily as their eyes met, still held as she was in the warm hug.

"...You, as a tiny infant... That one miscalculation caused her entire plan to crumble in moments. After only seconds, the fragile illusion of peace she created was easily shattered." Luka replied, shaking his head mournfully.

"...But, I have to die... Or... Or else humans will always be afraid..." Alice weakly protested.

"Alice, you're thinking too much of your own death. You seem to have your heart set on the world somehow becoming better once you're dead..." Luka accused, closing his eyes in reminiscence.

"Alice... Quit escaping into the thought of sacrificing yourself for some imaginary good that will come of it. Live, and see peace come with your own eyes." the Hero ordered resolutely.

"...Are you sure? Can a Monster Lord such as me really exist in your ideal world?" Alice asked a final time.

"Of course... Once the world is at peace, let's go on another journey again. I know there are lots of delicious foods you have yet to try, too." Luka chuckled.

"Hmph... That's right... I still haven't eaten enough. I want to go on another journey once the world is at peace... With you." Alice finally relented, truly accepting her defeat at last...

"Yes... So, for our future journey's sake, we have to build a world where we can coexist together. The four Heavenly Knights have already agreed not to harass humans any longer. And if the Monster Lord and a Hero can cooperate... Ah... I guess I'm not a Hero, actually." Luka stopped in realization.

"Hmph, you idiot... You stayed a fake Hero to the very end..." Alice scoffed.

"...Yeah, that's fine. I really was a fake hero from the start, all the way to the end." Luka smirked, before his eyes met Alice's once again.

Slowly, the two of them drew closer and closer, their faces almost touching...

However, they never got any further, as suddenly, a light shined down from above, a beautiful voice resounding through the room with an angelic choir in the background.

"Oh, brave Luka... You have chosen the most foolish path..." Ilias lamented, as her figure descended from the heavens, surrounded by a holy aura.

"Ilias..." Luka called out to the Goddess.

"What I have feared most of all has come to pass... Seduced by the Monster Lord, you have yielded to her wicked will... After having favored and watched over you for so long, only to be betrayed like this... I am unable to hide my disappointment in you. Luka, you are unqualified to be a Hero." Ilias declared.

"Hmph... Unqualified? How can you call someone who fights for others to the bitter end anything but a Hero!?" Alice questioned furiously.

"Alice..." Luka called out in a moved tone.

"I am the one to decide the definition of a Hero. There is no need for you to interrupt here, Monster Lord Alipheese." the Goddess proclaimed.

"...Ilias, please answer me... Are monsters truly such an evil existence?" Luka asked.

"...Of course. They are beings who tempt and corrupt humans. There is no exception." Ilias replied.

"...Ilias... Is it fated for humans and monsters to fight each other?" Luka questioned.

"...Of course. It is inevitable for humans to kill monsters." the Goddess answered.

Luka was silent for a few moments, his eyes closed in deep contemplation.

Finally he opened them again.

This time, however, they were filled with nothing but the purest determination.

"I understand. In that case..." he started, as his hand calmly moved to his side, right on the hilt of Angel Halo.

"Ilias... You... You're the main obstacle blocking peace!" the Hero declared, as he dared to point his blade towards the winged supernatural being in front of him.

"...Pointing your sword at a Goddess... That's quite the sin you're committing. Luka, accept your divine punishment." the Goddess proclaimed, as she sent a powerful bolt of lightning towards the sinner.

However, the blow never landed, as Luka swiftly weaved to the side, his movements flowing like water.

"...What's wrong, Ilias? Are you too used to judging those who can't fight back?" Luka mocked, lifting his blade again.

the Goddess was silent for a moment, simply floating leisurely above the ground.

"...As I thought... So you really have been completely deceived by that thief, huh...?" Ilias lamented, her face falling in grief.

"...Eh? What thief?" Luka blinked in confusion.

"I won't forgive him... I will never forgive him!" Ilias suddenly shouted, the world itself trembling from the power of her holy wrath.

"...! Woah!" Luka exclaimed, as he filled himself with the power of the earth in order to keep his footing.

"...! Ah, but he's already dead, isn't he...? Right, I'll just have to retrieve his soul later... For now... Let us make this Monster Lord's castle into a second Remina. Be exterminated with these monsters you so adore... You corrupted Hero." the Goddess proclaimed, before she suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

A moment later, the entire castle started to shake violently, multiple explosions resounding through the air.

"Wh... What is this!? An earthquake!?" Luka yelled fearfully.

"No... This is...!" Alice disclaimed, as both her and the Hero sensed the unearthly auras slowly filling the entire castle.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, a familiar Slime bursting through.

"...A report, Your Majesty. An army of angels, along with a group of strange monsters, is invading the castle. We have already begun interception, but their numbers are far too vast..." Erubetie reported th her lord.

"So it's a full-scale war, Ilias...!?" Alice cursed, gritting her teeth in anger.

"She said she was going to make this castle a second Remina... But that strange comment about a thief... What was she talking about?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"She said she was going to retrieve his soul... Whoever 'he' is, he must have angered her greatly. But who...!" Alice trailed off, before suddenly both her and Luka realized there was only other male in the castle.

Namely, the last member of their group.

""Daniel!"" the two exclaimed together, as they started running towards the grand hall.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Luka)

As the Hero rushed out of the passageway to the throne room together with the Monster Lord and the clone of the Heavenly knight of water, the battle had already started within the halls of the castle, both sides clashing against each other, lost in the confusion of the battle.

"Guh...! What the hell are you!?" a Vampire asked loudly, as she staggered back from a Chimera Beast's blow.

"I won't step aside! You aren't going past here!" a Behemoth Girl declared, as she struggled against another artificial monster.

There weren't just monsters fighting, however...

"Ahaha, take that! Die, monsters!" an angel wearing a pink dress with a bow in hand laughed maliciously, as her arrows stabbed into her enemies.

"Accept the judgement of the Goddess, you dirty monsters..." an angel wearing silver armor and with a sword in hand commanded, as she sliced through her enemies' defenses.

The monsters tried to fight back against the 'holy' invaders, however...

"Damn you...!" the Behemoth cursed, as she sent a hammerblow towards the pink angel's head, her fists harmlessly passing through the winged being.

"Gha...! Why can't I hit her!?" the monster shouted angrily.

"Ahaha, you didn't know? Neither humans nor monsters can touch an angel!" the bow wielder explained.

"An earth-dweller cannot touch a sacred angel's body. Naturally, your attacks are useless." the armored angel scoffed.

All around them, similar scenes were playing out, as the angels slowly advanced, dispatching the castle's defenders with ease.

"Is this how they destroyed Remina...!? With an army of angels and strange monsters!?" Luka yelled out in realization.

"...That seems to be the case. Those monsters must be something new Ilias created..." Alice speculated.

"No... That isn't right. Those Chimeras are my work." a voice suddenly interjected, correcting her.

"Y... You're...!" Luka stammered, as he faced the same woman with red hair and a labcoat he and his friend had met outside the haunted house.

"My name is Promestein, the seeker of wisdom. The one who gave fire to humans..." Promestein introduced herself.

"I see... So you were an angel. That's why I didn't sense anything from you. What are these strange creatures? Why did you make them...?" Alice questioned.

"They are called Chimeric Monsters, whom I created by dark magic... The fruits of the research Ilias instructed me to perform." Promestein replied.

"The monster-hating Ilias ordered you to create monsters...? This is the first time I've heard of a God ignoring their own beliefs." Alice scoffed.

"You round-dwellers are unable to understand divine providence. The truth of this world is too difficult for you to understand. Anyway, I brought my masterpieces to assault the castle to defeat the four Heavenly Knights, the Monster lord, the Hero... And a mutant, it seems." Promestein added.

"...! Where is Daniel!? What have you done to him!?" Luka questioned, already pulling out his sword.

"I did nothing to him... On the other hand, however, my latest creation has likely already taken care of him." Promestein disclaimed.

"...! You're wrong! There's no way Daniel would ever lose to anyone! And neither will Alice, the four Heavenly Knights and I ever lose to you!" Luka roared resolutely.

"Hehe... Is that so?" Promestein smirked lightly, a moment before a shadow was suddenly slammed onto a nearby wall.

And, as the dust cleared, the familiar silhouette of an armored Dragon-kin was revealed...

"Guh...!" Granberia grimaced, as she struggled to stand up, crouched down on one knee.

Then, her current opponent stepped forward.

She was obviously some sort of Chimeric monster, but she was different from the rest, her Dragon-like features more mechanical than organic in nature, her power on a whole other level.

"The strongest Cursed Swordswoman among monsters, Granberia... Was that truly the extent of your power?" the Chimera scoffed.

"Granberia was already injured after the fight with me! If it wasn't for that, someone like you would have been nothing!" Luka protested, right nefore another silhouette crushed into a nearby wall, the succubus Queen crying out in surprise.

"Ouch ouch ouch... Even though I was already tired... That sure hurt..." Alma Elma complained, as she slowly got back to her feet, dusting off her mantle.

"That wind of yours is awfully slow. It's like you're standing still." a Harpy-like Chimera mocked, as she floated in front of her.

"Oh, my... How disappointing. Were we really created o deal with these lowly monsters?" another one questioned in annoyance, as she skittered forward on her insect-like bladed legs.

"It's a full moon tonight... But I still can't get excited for this feast..." another one lamented, as she slowly stlked forward on her clawed quadrupedal legs.

"Hahaha... Well, there's nothing we can do! Because they are the old generation of monsters! Those pure-preeds are no match for the next generation." a last one happily concluded, floating leisurely over the ground with her bee-like body.

"Gah... Five more...?" Luka grimaced, preparing himself for the inevitable fight.

"These Chimeras were created just to deal with the four Heavenly Knights. I analyzed everything about them, to ensure they were all able to defeat them. Of course, there's also one for the Hero... And the mutant." Promestein explained.

"...Heh, so there you have it. Unmodified monsters like you... There's no way you could compare to us." Granberia's opponent declared.

"Soooo... You're all going to have to die now! Ah... But we'll rape the Hero instead." the Bee-like monster amended.

"Ahaha... I want to rape him too!" a pink angel exclaimed in excitement.

"A Hero who turns his blade in treason against Ilias... As punishment, a continual rape of 20,000 years is sufficient." an armored angel proclaimed.

"Guh... In that case, I have to go right for the leader...!" Luka suddenly yelled out, as he swung his blade towards the angelic scientist.

However, his blow never connected.

"Come, Zylphe!" Promestein called out, her body filling with a strange wind, her speed increasing enough to dodge the swing effortlessly.

"It can't be...!" Luka exclaimed in disbelief, recognizing his opponent's power, the spirits inside of him as stunned as he was.

"Don't think you're unique in using the power of the spirits. I've already analyzed that power, and am mass-producing reproductions." Promestein declared.

"No way... Even the spirits..." Luka said in disbelief, his mind spinning at the implications.

"Hmph... Don't be scared, Luka. You've already overcome many difficult situations already." Alice assured.

"Alice..." Luka called out.

"At the start, I told you we were not allies... That I was just a fellow traveler along with you... But that changes now. You and I are allies who share the same will! And I'm sure Daniel is the same as well!" Alice resolutely proclaimed.

"...Yeah, that's right!" Luka agreed, his fear overcome by powerful resolve.

"Let's go, Luka! Don't fall behind!" Alice ordered.

"You got it!" Luka nodded, as the two of them prepared to charge into the fray...

Only to suddenly stop, as the entire castle was shook by yet another tremendous impact, the ceiling above them collapsing as something crashed straight through it.

Immediately, everyone in the room turned to face the new arrival...

And they all stared with wide eyes at the demonic-looking figure standing above the broken body of a monster remarkably similar to the Chimeras meant to face the Heavenly Knights.

Nine silver fox tails swished through the air behind it, two leathery wings spread behind a naked man's torso covered in symmetric tribal-like tatoos.

Its arms and legs were covered in dark green scales, its head adorned by white hair in the same color as the fox ears sprouting above it, matching the aforementioned tails, two black curved horns on its sides.

His eyes were the most surprising part, as they matched almost perfectly those of the Monster Lord herself...

Nevertheless, however, despite all of this abnormalities, it was impossible for Luka not to recognize his best friend.

Of course, that didn't mean he had any idea what the hell was going on...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Ilias)

The Goddess was indeed disappointed.

She had truly hoped that her Hero would not take the path he did.

However, not all was lost, of course.

Rather, this could have been for the best overall.

She had already accounted for this outcome anyway, and planned accordingly.

In the end, this was but a small delay to what she knew would be her perfect life with HER LUKA, after she attained the power she needed...

Besides, she still had a thief to punish.

Watching the dumb monsters' struggles against her angels and Promestein's creations was amusing to the Goddess, but she knew it would be nothing compared to what she would do with the soul of the one who had dared to rob her...

Oh, how she would enjoy hearing his screams, as she took everything from him, their spiritual bodies intertwined as she slowly made him go mad in pleasure... Wait, what?

The Goddess was about to question that last thought, when suddenly her attention was taken by the sudden crash happening only a few feet from her Hero, reflected within her scrying pool.

And it was at that moment that Ilias realised she had made a terrible mistake.

Once again, she had dismissed the danger her enemy posed.

Or rather, she had completely been deceived by him.

All this time, the thief had been mocking her, hiding his true nature from her...

And as she overlooked the eyes of her most dreaded enemy staring back at her, the Goddess felt something in her mind snap from both the fear and the rage she felt towards the Devil in front of her.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Black Alice)

As the eighth Monster Lord spectated the start of the most marvelous of feasts from Heaven itself through the stupid Goddess' own scrying pool, she smiled happily, her young-looking body wearing a childish blue dress holding onto her cute little teddy bear.

"Teehee... A wonderful party has started at last. Has the time for re-creation finally come, Ilias...!?" Black Alice suddenly startled, her instincts screaming at her to RUN, as her eyes took in Ilias' suddenly absolutely crazed expression, fury rolling from her in waves that threatened to tear apart the very reality around her.

"Black Alice... Are you still here?" the Goddess slowly questioned, not even turning to face the monster beside her.

"...! T-the monsters we collected are all ready to eat the current humans. We have both pure monsters and the new generation as well." Black Alice declared, desperately trying to appear calm despite her heart beating in her chest.

"...Then, go. The preparations are finished. Let us build a more peaceful world, brimming with faith..." Ilias declared.

Without saying a word, Black Alice immediately opened a portal to the surface world.

"...Black Alice." the Goddess suddenly called out, making the monster stop in her tracks before she could walk away.

"...Yes?" Black Alice startled again, as she turned around nervously.

"Remember. You are easily replaceable. See that you do not disappoint me..." Ilias commanded in a calm and collected tone, her eyes as cold as the chill of the grave.

"...Yes, Goddess Ilias..." Black Alice instinctively replied, before finally passing through the portal, letting it dissolve behind her as fast as she could.

Immediately after being out of the Goddess' sight, the old Monster Lord started breathing hard, her body lightly shivering from both fear and rage.

"Damn Goddess... Just you wait... I will eat you, and make you pay for looking down on me!" Black Alice roared to the heavens, gripping her teddy bear to her chest tightly enough to crush it.

And at the same time, she couldn't help but ask herself a single question...

"...Just who was that man, for that Ilias to have such an extreme reaction to him? He was obviously not a human... And his eyes..." the old Monster Lord muttered to herself, as she visualized in her mind the image of the rare male monster she had only seen for a brief moment.


	51. Chapter 50: Finally seeing the light

(PoV: Daniel)

Now, let's just stop for a moment, and analyse my current situation...

I had just crashed through several floors, and coincidentally entered the center of the conflict raging throughout the castle, simultaneously exposing my monstrous true form to friends and foes alike.

Luka just looked at me in complete befuddlement, clearly taken aback by my changed appearance.

That sentiment was shared by Alice, as her jaw dropped at the sight of my eyes.

Granberia, Tamamo and Alma Elma were also staring at me, though more than just surprised they looked...

Hungry?

Erubetie was seemingly alarmed by my sudden entrance, though maybe she just didn't recognize me, seeing as we had only met once, and I now looked quite different...

Promestein just blinked in confusion for a moment, before her expression turned madly focused, making a chill run down my back as she thoroughly scanned my body with her eyes.

Floating above Luka, I could still feel the existence of the magical window Ilias used to spy on him, now facing directly towards me.

All around us, a small army of angels and the remaining Next Dolls were looking at me warily, as I stood above the corpse of one of their comrades...

And to top it all off, to my immense embarrassment, I was also naked from the waist up.

...Yeah, it was official.

I just had the WORST luck.

"Impossible! Renenutet lost!?" a winged Chimera whose name I knew to be Hainuwele exclaimed in disbelief.

"It would seem that the mutant was hiding his true power all along..." Tsukuyomi commented, her appearance not dissimilar to a skeletal centaur-like clawed beast with her arms conjoined into a circle behind her back.

"Hah! Serves her right! Always blabbing on and on about how she was the latest model..." Anphisbaena laughed, her insect-like body with sharp blades at the end of her six legs leaving scratch lines on the floor under her.

"She was the weakest of us all anyways... She was built in a rush and with incomplete data, to counter what looked like an insignificant opponent... This was simply the obvious result." Arc-En-Ciel scoffed, her large Dragon-like limbs slowly shifting in position, like a beast preparing to attack.

"Daniel... Is that really you?" Luka asked me in an uncertain tone.

"...Argh! Look, it's a long story and we really have other priorities right now! I'll explain everything later, right now just focus on the fight!" I requested, as I assumed a fighting stance.

"...! You're right, we'll have to talk about this later... Let's go, Alice, Daniel!" Luka agreed, as we all rushed forward.

"...Luka, I'll take down the Chimeric monsters! Use your sword to take out the angels!" Alice ordered.

"I'll help evacuate the castle's inhabitants! Kick their asses, both of you!" I declared.

"Yeah, leave the angels to me!" Luka assured, as he engaged his first opponent, a winged woman with a pink dress I recognized as a Cupid.

"I'll be your opponent!" Luka proclaimed, as he stood in front of the bow wielder.

"Ahaha, are you after my body too? That's fine, I'll enjoy raping you." the Cupid singsang, as she faced the Hero.

"Is someone like you really an angel...?" Luka questioned in disgust.

"Valkyrie, don't interfere. The disgraced Hero picked me, after all." the Cupid told her ally.

"That's fine... I will take the other one instead." the armored angel declared, turning to face me.

"Prepare yourself, ground-dweller... For the honor of all the angels, I will punish you with 10,000 years of rape." Valkyrie proclaimed.

"...Didn't you hear what I just said I was going to do? Ah fuck it..." I sighed in exasperation, as I immediately started shutting down my senses of taste and smell to focus on my enemy's aura in preparation for the oncoming fight...

The moment I did so, however, about a third of the presences in the room utterly and completely disappeared from my perception.

"...Eh?" I dumbly exclaimed, looking in confusion at the angel whose aura had just become imperceptible to me.

At the same time, Luka's opponent let out a yelp of pain, as his blade wounded her.

"Kya!? Why did the human's attack hit!?" the angel asked in disbelief, clutching at her wounded side.

"That's the cursed blade, Angel Halo... The original fallen angel created that in order to bring ruin to the angels. Be careful, Cupid. If that hits, even we will be in danger... Though, of course, the male monster I'm facing doesn't have anything like it." Valkyrie added in a slightly smug tone.

"Hey, no fair! Why do I have to face this kind of thing while you get to leisurely play around with a man!?" Cupid protested.

"You were the one who said not to interfere. Didn't you want to punish the corrupted Hero yourself?" Valkyrie scoffed.

"Uuuu... I'm angry now! Just sit still, and let me rape you!" the pink angel ordered, as she shot arrow after arrow towards Luka, who was forced to dodge them all.

"Daniel! You can't fight angels! They are immune to everything but my sword! You have to run!" Luka warned.

"It's useless... I won't let you escape. Angels are a manifestation of the Goddess' will... No mortal may defy her holy judgement!" the Valkyrie declared, as she charged towards me, blade in hand.

I barely managed to sidestep her thrust, quickly throwing a jab to her temple...

As expected, however, my hand just passed right through her, as if she wasn't even there.

"Damn it!" I cursed, inwardly raging at whoever the fucker that had brought me to this world was for not giving me a way to defend myself against the genocidal army of angelic life-hacking cheaters.

"See? It's pointless to resist... Just accept your punishment already, you sinful existence!" the angel commanded, as she tried to grapple me.

I immediately blurred backwards, barely avoiding her outstretched hands, releasing my concentration in my panic, still unable to fight effectively because of my inability to feel...

Huh?

As soon as I reactivated all my senses, I immediately felt my enemy's aura again, as if it had never disappeared.

"...What the hell...?" I exclaimed in confusion, as I effortlessly avoided the angel's continuous attempts to touch me with minimal monvements and a puzzled expression.

Immediately, I felt Promestein's eyes widen, instinctively turning to face the scientist.

"...! Those movements... Impossible! How could he attain enlightenment without even receiving assistance from the Goddess!? And to do it in such a casual manner..." the scientist started to mutter feverishly, biting her nails as she stared at me in a crazed manner.

"...Say what now?" I deadpanned, as I quickly let myself fall backwards to avoid yet another flying tackle, before lifting a piece of rubble from the ground and hurling it at the angel's turned back, testing whether her damage immunity was passive or active.

It seemingly was the former, because despite her never noticing the improvised projectile, it simply phased right through her anyways.

"...! No... It's different. He doesn't know yet... Angels, converge on the male monster's position and engage! We must take him down before it's too late!" Promestein yelled out to her soldiers.

"A male monster? Oh, that sounds like fun..." a few angels started murmuring, taking their attention away from their current opponents, and eyeing me hungrily.

"...Crap!" I cursed, as I started running as fast as I could around the large hall, a small army of winged beings chasing after me, leisurely discussing among themselves to decide when their turn to 'punish' me would come.

"...! Daniel! Wait for me, I'm coming!" Luka yelled out, as he quickly finished off his current opponent, the pink angel dissolving into the pure Light energy she was composed of, as the hero charged towards my hunters.

However, he didn't get far, as suddenly, he was assaulted by the same Valkyrie that had previously been attacking me.

"I won't let you interfere, disgraced Hero. Accept your punishment!" the armored angel yelled, as she stood in his way.

"Damn it! Daniel, just hold on!" Luka pleaded, as he swung his blade towards his enemy.

"...Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!" I kept repeating, as I barely managed to outrun the angels chasing after me, desperately trying to think of a plan to survive.

Luka was too busy with his own opponent to help me, and I had no way to touch the latter either, so going near him would only have resulted in an even more difficult battle for the both of us.

Alice was busy with the many Chimeras assaulting her subordinates, and I didn't even think she had a way to harm angels either, at least at the moment.

The four Heavenly Knights were desperately pushing themselves to reach me, but they were too weakened to do anything but be toyed with by their respective Next Dolls, and I knew that continuing to run wouldn't be a good idea, because the more their fights were prolonged, the more risk there was of one of them dying...

No.

I needed to calm down.

I needed to THINK.

The world around me slowed down, as I frantically put together the information I had in my head, analysing every detail in order to come up with a strategy.

Angels were beings of pure thought, their existence composed entirely of Light energy.

Conventional weapons could not hurt them, as their bodies were imaginary in nature, only able to interact with reality by their own will.

As such, I was utterly unable to harm them...

But then, why was Promestein so frantic?

Sure, I could feel the angels' auras, but...

Wait a minute.

I shut down my hearing for a second, and immediately felt my pursuers' auras vanish, reappearing as soon as I reactivated it, barely allowing me to dodge a hail of arrows from the Cupids' bows.

I kept running even faster now, as I considered the implications once more.

So, every time I shut down one of my senses, Light energy became imperceptble to me...

But why!?

If Light energy was mental in nature, there was no reason shutting down a physical sense should affect my ability to perceive it!

Unless...

Unless there was one more sense that I unconsciously shut down every time I deactivated one of the others.

I could still feel elemental and Dark energy while my body's basic senses were inactive.

But no matter which one it was that I suppressed, Light energy was the only one I could not perceive in that state.

And Promestein had seemingly been surprised at my ability to feel it at all.

She also had been the only on able to find me as I was hiding, while even Alice had been unable to feel anything from either of us.

...Could it have been that no one but angels was supposed to be able to perceive Light energy?

No, that didn't sound right...

That scholar back in San Ilia had spoken about some Heroes being able to wield Holy energy with the Goddess' blessing.

And Promestein had also mentioned something about me attaining 'enlightenment' without Ilias' assistance.

Was this 'enlightenment' the ability to wield Light energy then...?

I already knew Ilias had a hand in shaping humanity's evolution, and already suspected the reason ghosts existed was because every human had a measure of Light energy within them.

But then, I had been unable to feel any within myself, even as I focused on the space my body was occupying...

Except that to do that, I needed to shut down my other senses, and that had likely made me unable to tell if I possessed any in the first place!

I felt Luka's blade sealing the Valkyrie and him starting to run towards me, before my eyes widened, as I suddenly felt a powerful holy aura filling the room, a silver-haired angel descending from above.

"...I received permission from Eden for my advent to the lower world. I shall face the disgraced Hero." a voice resounded.

"W... Who is it!? ...! It can't be... An Archangel!? An angel of that class descending to the human world...!?" Luka yelled out in disbelief, as he turned to face the new enemy.

"Don't let your guard down, Luka! She is a very powerful Angel!" Alice warned, even as she pinned down yet another Chimeric monster with her tail.

"Yes, I can feel it... But..." Luka acknowledged, turning to me in concern.

"Luka! Don't worry about me! I have a plan! Focus on your opponent!" I yelled out, as I kept running.

"...Alright! Just hold on a little longer!" Luka shouted back, as he engaged his enemy.

In the meantime, I returned to my previous thoughts.

So, it was likely that my body contained Light energy I wasn't aware of, and that Promestein had been able to detect it...

But then, how was I supposed to use it if I couldn't even tell it was there!?

Even if I knew about it, it was useless, unless I could somehow feel it!

Only, it was impossible for me, since every time I tried to focus my perception on myself, I automatically used my aura sense to do so, and Light energy couldn't be perceived by it.

No, I needed to understand how this Light energy sense worked, and learn to control it first...

How could I do that though, with my magic sense screaming in my head every time a monster's aura surged around me, and the army of angels chasing my ass!?

Especially seing as my damn aura sense couldn't even be turned off in the first place...!

Suddenly, my running screeched to a halt, my sudden change in demeanor confusing my pursuers enough for them to stop for a moment.

"No... No fucking way... I REFUSE to accept this... Argh, I can't fucking believe this BULLSHIT!" I roared furiously to the sky, holding my head in my hands in absolute denial.

"...Hey, did you break already? We haven't even started playing with you yet..." one of the angels chasing me asked in a mocking tone.

"Oh, shut the fuck up, you overgrown chicken! I already got enough problems without your snark adding to them, damn it!" I shouted back even louder, making the angel instinctively take a step back, before she blushed in indignation.

"...! You damn ground-dweller, how dare you insult..." the angel started, before I interrupted her.

"I said, SHUT UP!" I roared again, before my shoulders slumped, as I started whimpering miserably.

"...Fuck... I can't fucking believe I'm actually doing this..." I whined, lamenting my inability to come up with literally any other plan.

And then I took a deep breath, and did the only thing I could think of that had the slightest chance of shutting down my damn aura sense...

Namely, standing half-naked in front of the small army of angels trying to kill me, I closed my eyes and started singing, of all things.

I fucking hated living in an Anime...

Slowly tapping my foot on the ground to keep the rythm, I focused my consciousness on the notes of the first song that came to my mind.

It was an interesting one too, as it was the only song I knew to be purposefully written in a made-up language.

I had randomly found it while surfing the net for new music to put in my phone, and had liked it enough to even write my own version of the lyrics for it, though I was pretty sure there was no way the spelling was correct.

The name of the song, however, I was completely certain about.

Le chant de Roma, from an anime called 'Akame ga Kill'.

A song named after the capital of my home country that I never had the chance to see...

And that at that point, I likely never would.

"Eza-romera...

Mata-hahidara von...

Saharemsa...

Romero-monee-datoah...

Nassakiivah..."

I slowly chanted, my voice resonating as I slowly shut down my senses of taste and smell, concentrating purely on feeling the notes in my mind.

"...Hey, what is he doing?" an angel questioned in confusion.

"How sweet, he's giving us a performance before we start having fun with him... I might just take him for myself and have him sing for me every day..." another panted excitedly with small hearts in her eyes.

"Hey, no fair, I was here first!" another protested.

I just ignored them all and kept singing.

"Deranna-ie tae-tovai kono-oku...

Deranna-ie kova kova dreynae...

Dinna-dinna ki-ohora nasranae...

Erahea...

Muhenna-hacy-he dhanatu...

Tisveiri-va...

Romere..."

I kept chanting, as I shut down my sight and hearing as well, not needing to hear my own voice with my ears anymore.

I exhaled slowly, as I felt any sensation from my body vanish, my aura sense following suit, leaving me in a world of pure darkness...

"Woh-ohohoh...

Oh-hohoho-ohe...

woh-ohohoh..."

And then, suddenly, I felt it.

Slowly opening my 'eyes', I 'saw' a multitude of ethereal shapes, each of them different, some big, some small, some transparent, and some filled with a bright energy emanating from a core that shined like a small star...

Then I turned my 'gaze' to myself.

I immediately determined I also possessed a star of my own.

And as soon as I did, I instinctively knew how to use its power.

A moment later, a trilling war cry resounded out of nowhere, as I extended a fist towards the angel charging me.

The untouchable being flew backwards and crashed through a pillar from the impact with my limb, as my entire being became suffused in a faint light.

Then I opened my physical eyes, and saw the entire room staring at me once again.

"...Not gonna lie, that felt a lot better than it probably should have." I quipped, looking at the now completely unconscious angel I had just punched, before sighing loudly and cracking my knuckles.

"Well then... Who's next?" I coolly asked with a smirk on my face, even as I inwardly cringed at my own stupidly cliched line...

Eh, who am I kidding, I felt like I had the power of God and anime at my side at that moment.

And it was fucking glorious.

"T-this is impossible! How can a monster use Holy power!? What the hell are you!?" one of my angelic pursuers asked in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter if he has some Holy energy... We have far more than he does, there's no way he can win against all of us!" another angel declared.

"Yeah, let's take him down and have fun teasing him!" another agreed, as they all charged towards me once again.

I blurred forward, meeting the enemy forces head on, my speed taking their forerunners by surprise as I sent them packing with a powerful hammerblow, taking out both them and a few soldiers behind them.

Then I started just pummeling every single one of the winged bitches into submission with a mad grin on my face...

I know, it was not exactly the healthiest of attitudes, but in my defense I had just been forced to sing half-naked in front of a huge crowd.

I REALLY needed a distraction after that...

The angels tried to fight back, but none of them were physically at my level, and their fighting skills were shitty as they could be since they didn't bother dodging, as they were supposed to be all but invincible under normal circumstances.

Unfortunately for them, I obviously didn't fall under that cathegory.

"Gah! Just what is this guy!? He's so strong!" an angel yelled frightfully, as I tore through their ranks like a raging hurricane, arms, legs, and tails lashing out at everything around me, sending everyone I hit flying.

"No way... He actually managed to attain enlightenment on his own!? Just what in the world was that song...? Angels, fall back, quickly!" Promestein ordered, before suddenly the archangel Luka was facing erupted into a burst of light.

"Alright, I did it!" he exulted, before turning to face the scientist.

A moment later, Alice and I joined him.

"No matter how many we tear through, there's just no end to them... Let's take out the leader and finish this... And then, Daniel, you will have some explaining to do." Alice declared, looking at me in exasperation.

"Yeah, I know..." I sighed in resignation.

"Damn it, Eden, I told you from the start, you should have left the Hero to me first... Oh, no matter... There are already countermeasures in place for the Monster Lord and the Hero. The mutant may be powerful, but his reserve of Holy energy must have a limit, too. Once he runs out, any random angel can take him out." the scientist smirked.

I could tell that she was right.

The light from my inner star had already started to dim a little, as the energy I had accumulated during my stay in this world was being consumed at a slow, but constant rate.

It would take some time and effort from the enemy, but eventually I would be left defenseless once again.

"...Countermeasures? I don't know what you're planning, but you have underestimated me!" Alice yelled out, as she charged towards the scientist.

"...! Alice, wait!" I shouted, but it was already too late, as I felt Promestein activate a small device in her labcoat's pocket.

"Whew... Monster Lord, you will have the same fate as the Dark God and the Six Ancestors." Promestein declared, as a strange pattern of energy surrounded Alice.

"What was that!? Wh...! What is this!?" Alice asked in disbelief, as her body stiffened under the power of the seal.

"Alice!?" Luka called out, as an intense amount of power twisted the very space in front of us, locking Alice in place.

"Capture successful... Now for the transfer." Promestein commented, as she observed the result of her research.

A moment later, Alice was swallowed by twisted space, leaving nothing but empty air in her place.

"Hey! What happened, Alice!?" Luka asked our vanished comrade, only to receive no answer.

"Damn it! I told her to stop!" I cursed.

"...! Daniel, do you know what happened to Alice!?" Luka inquired frantically.

"She was sealed. Remember the barrier under the castle in Grangold?" I replied.

"Grangold...? The one that sealed the Queen Ant!?" Luka said in realization.

"I see you recognized it... Indeed, this is the most powerful magic seal barrier that exists. A seal I researched from ancient times, called the Six Ancestors' Great Seal. The ultimate seal, used to seal the Dark God Alipheese and the Six Ancestors. It took several hundred years of study to reproduce it..." Promestein elaborated.

"Dark God Alipheese? Six Ancestors?" Luka repeated in confusion.

"The ancient Dark God, known as the first Monster Lord. And the ancestors of all monsters, the Six Great Monsters. Even monsters of legendary class were sealed... It is the ultimate seal. There's no way the inferior current Alipheese could fight against it." Promestein declared.

"That's why you experimented on Queen Ant! So you could test it for use on Alice!?" Luka yelled out in realization.

"Haha... Not quite. That was a poor model, with low output. It wouldn't have been able to capture her for anything more than a short while... But this is the completed version... The power to maintain itself is supplied by the one it is sealing." Promestein disclaimed.

"So where did Alice go!?" Luka questioned.

"Haha... Did you think I would tell you that easily?" Promestein chuckled.

"Then I'll force it out of you!" Luka declared, before preparing to charge.

However, before he could even move one step, the scientist smiled.

"I said countermeasures... They applied to you, too. I prepared a separate seal, just for you... The wide area seal, operating now!" Promestein yelled out, as she activated yet another device, the energy of the world itself shifting, as I felt the four Spirits' energy being pulled out of Luka's body and away towards the south.

"...Huh? What happened...? Did it fail?" Luka blinked in confusion, not having noticed anything.

"Did you not notice? Something unusual in your body?" Promestein questioned.

"Unusual? What are you...!?" Luka startled, as he finlly realized what had happened.

"Ah, shit..." I groaned, as I inwardly raged at just how bullshit Promestein's magic science was.

"Sylph, what's wrong!? Gnome, Undine, Salamander! Lend me your power!" Luka desperately called out to his Spirits, only to receive no answer.

"What did you do, Promestein!?" Luka roared furiously.

"I developed a special seal against the elements of the four Spirits that covers the whole world. It works basically the same way as a seal against evil, only much more targeted..." Promestein expleined.

"Sealed throughout the whole world!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"The Spirits are almost akin to a force of nature itself. To seal them it had to be deployed across the entire world. It was quite troublesome to set up, but it seems it was worth it. Now you're just a kid who's decent with a sword." Promestein scoffed, as a Chimera Beast suddenly jumped at Luka.

"Gah... Lightning Sword Flash!" Luka called out, as he tried to draw on Sylph's power and rapidly thrust forward.

However, he did not possess even a fragment of his previous wind-infused speed.

The monster swiftly avoided the thrust, and retaliated with a swipe of her claws.

Luka barely parried the blow with his sword, but he was thrown backwards, crashing to the floor.

"With that, your power was completely blocked. Now even a single beast is more than your match...!" Promestein startled, as I blurred into action, effortlessly lifting the Chimera from the ground and holding it above my head with my nine tails.

"...Forgot someone?" I asked with a smirk, as I threw the monster with all my strength towards the scientist, who barely dodged it.

"...Do you truly think you alone can match up to all of us? You're better off surrendering... If you do, we'll keep you alive for at least 100 years, giving you both plenty of pleasure as Guinea pigs. It's not a bad deal at all... " Promestein drawled seductively.

"Sorry, but I have a bit of an issue with forced physical intimacy. As for your question... Eh, probably not, to be honest. But I think I can take out about half of you...? And I can definitely cause some damage to the rest... Especially to you, 'scientist'." I smirked knowingly, cracking my knuckles and arching an eyebrow, glancing at the body of the Next Doll I had killed for a moment.

Promestein's eyes widened, as she realized the hidden meaning behind my words.

The eyes of the four Heavenly knights immediately turned to me, all of them looking surprised and concerned.

Distracted for a moment, Granberia took yet another blow from her opponent, falling to the ground.

Arc-En-Ciel turned to face me, a look of interest in her eyes.

"Oh... This one seems more interesting. I'd like to face this one..." the Next Doll smiled maliciously, as she started stepping towards me.

I simply kept my gaze on Promestein, completely ignoring her.

"...Tch. No, Arc-En-Ciel. We're falling back. Pick up Renenutet's remains and retreat." Promestein ordered.

"...You can't be serious!?" the Next Doll yelled in disbelief.

"The Monster Lord was sealed, and the Hero was neutered. We've already achieved our intended goals." the scientist declared.

"But the cleansing of the remaining monsters here still needs to be done..." Amphisbaena protested.

"I was created to take down Tamamo, one of the four Heavenly Knights. If we fall back here, this will truly be regrettable for me..." Tsukuyomi pointed out.

"We could defeat Tamamo here, but our huge advantage wouldn't be changed much... But given the unknown factor of the mutant's strength, a big loss of our force may be likely. At this point, we cannot afford to lose even one of you five. Don't be clouded by the immediate situation, and lose sight of the big picture." Promestein explained.

"...I do not like this... But you are our creator. I merely obey." Arc-En-Ciel acquiesced, despite her obvious reluctance, lifting the mangled corpse of her fellow Next Doll over her shoulder.

"With that said, you escape with your life... For now." Promestein concluded, as she started to walk away, followed by her subordinates.

"Wait! What happened to Alice!?" Luka yelled out.

"Haha... If you want to know, chase after me. If you don't hurry, you may never see your dear Monster Lord again." the scientist smiled, as she left the room.

"Ah... Wait!" Luka ordered, as he started running after her.

"Do not succumb to her provocations!" Tamamo yelled out, only for him to keep moving.

"Don't worry, I'll go after him. See you later." I quickly assured, before spreading my wings and flying out of the room.

"...!? Hey, wait!" Tamamo shouted after me, as I turned a corner and rushed after my friend.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Ilias)

"Goddess Ilias... Promestein seems to have withdrawn without following your orders." the Seraph Eden respectfully commented, standing at her Goddess' side.

Ilias simply stood there in silence, her eyes focused on the scrying pool in front of her, in which the Hero could be seen running out of the Monster Lord's castle, followed by the Devil himself.

"You ordered the Monster Lord's castle, the Monster lord, and the Hero all destroyed. But she withdrew before finishing off any of those goals. Not to mention her other complete failure... This is a grave sin that besmirches your divine presence. You must punish that one..." the angel advised.

It took a moment for the Goddess to answer, never taking her eyes off the scrying pool even for a second.

"...Well, I will let her do as she pleases." The Goddess finally declared.

Yes, Promestein's work was far more important than temporary elation from punishing a sinner.

After all, despite her failure, she still had a role to play...

"But Goddess Ilias...!" Eden started protesting.

"...Are you challenging my forgiveness? Or are you simply attempting to undermine my judgement?" the Goddess asked in a gentle tone.

"No, I would never... Of course, I will do just as you command." Eden immediately kneeled.

"...Then go, Seraph Eden. Bring the judgement of the Heavens down on those foolish enough to disrespect it." Ilias gently commanded.

"Yes! Entrust this task to me! I swear on my life, I will accomplish this task!." Eden bowed deeply, before stepping through a portal and disappearing.

As she watched her self-proclaimed most loyal follower vanish, the Goddess couldn't help but inwardly lament the Seraph's utter incompetence.

Truly, it was impossible for Ilias to truly entrust anything of importance to her...

Especially something as delicate as the extermination of the Devil that plagued her existence.

The Goddess' divine fist slammed into the arm of the long chair she was sitting on, utterly obliterating it with the power of her wrath.

"Damn him... I won't forgive him!" Ilias roared, as she stared at the Devil's reflection within her spell, as if trying to burn him with her gaze.

Yes, that Devil was the real problem!

And what a huge one it was...

Not just because of his hidden power, however.

But rather because of his immense cunning.

Ilias had no doubt that it would be easy for him to use his silver tongue to subvert even the most loyal of her soldiers to his own cause...

And of course, there was also still the voice in her head impeding her from just smiting him with heavenly lightning.

"You can't do that! You can't hurt him! Ẃ̶̰̍̓͊̌̍̆̊ĕ̶͈̺̯͔̄̈́̎̕ ̴̡̛͔͖̙͍̃͑̔̒͝n̴̳̎͆͑̇̈́̌ȩ̵̹̎̊e̸̛͉̫̝̲̮̬̼͖̒̋̓̓͂͘d̸̨̡̪̗̖̲͎͓͋̑ ̴͖͕͙͑̒̓̇̃̀̕͜h̸̨̨̹̝̟͑͛͌̌̿̚͠ͅi̸̢͎͍͙̠͙̠̎̆̾̓̾̕͠m̴̗͋̐̒͛̓̽͜ͅ!̵̡̥̼̳̖̅͗͛̈́̄͋͛̉͜" the voice screamed in her head, forcing her to hold it in pain once more.

Yes, the voice had come back in full force as soon as Ilias had realized the Devil was still alive, and was now trying its hardest to make her feel as miserable as possible...

"Argh, shut up already! Why can't you just go and die!?" the Goddess roared, unable to bear the pain in silence.

And yet again, this was all that Devil's fault.

Ilias was sure now, that it was him that put this annoying voice in her head, somehow.

After all, it was the only possible explanation as to why her headache increased every time she thought of harming him.

"That bastard... Just what is he!?" the Godddess uselessly asked, the voice pointedly not providing her with an answer.

"There has to be a way to get rid of him... But who could do it? Damn those useless subordinates of mine, how is it possible that not one of them... Wait." the Goddess blinked, as she suddenly had an epiphany.

"...If none of my current subordinates can be trusted to succeed... Then..." Ilias trailed off, as a malicious smile came to her face.

Snapping her fingers, the Goddess tore apart the space in front of her, and started working...

~– ~ – ~

(Pov: Daniel)

"Damn it, where did she go?" Luka cursed, as we found no trace of Promestein outside the castle.

"They can't all have teleported away... Their base must be close." I 'deduced', intentionally mirroring what I knew Luka to be thinking.

"...! Of course! Remina! Galda, come!" Luka called out to the heavens, a distant bird cry answering him immediately, before a gigantic shadow descended before us.

"Kweh!" Galda cried out, as she landed in front of us, Luka and I imediately climbing on.

"Take us to Remina!" Luka requested.

Galda immediately took off, sensing the urgency in his tone, and then we were in the sky.

~– ~ – ~

As we sat upon the legendary bird's back, I noticed Luka kept stealing glances at me.

"...I know. I swear, I will explain everything after we get Alice back." I sighed loudly, looking him right in the eyes.

"...Alright. I trust you." Luka nodded after a moment.

I nodded back with my eyes closed, inwardly preparing myself for the oncoming hours...

Hours that I could only hope wouldn't be my last with my best friends.

~– ~ – ~

In only a few minutes, we were in the sky above the massacred village.

And then my blood chilled in my veins, as I felt a powerful dark aura coming from a small figure in a blue dress on the ground below.

"Just where is Promestein... Hm? ...Who is that girl? She looks... Familiar, somehow...!?" Luka suddenly startled, as he noticed the girl as well.

Then the little girl turned to face us, her eyes meeting ours for a moment.

Now, my enhanced monster sight was far better than my human one had been.

It was easy for me to take in every small detail of my suroundings even in the dark or at a great distance, especially if I concentrated.

And in that moment, I was totally focused on Black Alice's face, completely unable to look away from it, frozen in place and staring at her like a deer in the headlights.

Combined with my other magic senses being trained on her, my perception of her was pretty much perfect.

I still couldn't believe in any of my senses at all when I noticed her flinching...

And then blush lightly, licking her smiling lips and hugging her teddy bear tightly.

"...What the actual fuck?" I couldn't help but swear at the decidedly off-canon reaction, my mind already starting to reel from the implications of it.

"...Daniel, do you know that girl?" Luka asked in confusion.

"...I have never seen her before in my life. But whoever she is, she's dangerous." I half-lied.

I had no idea what Black Alice's reaction meant, but there was no way I was going to give Ilias any information.

I would soon have to explain everything to Luka and Alice anyways, but hopefully the countermeasure for her scrying spell I had thought up would work...

And if not, I would just have to wing it.

"Really? But she's staring at you really hard..." Luka pointed out in a doubtful tone.

"...I think she's probably looking at you." I disclaimed.

There was no reason for Black Alice to be interested in me...

Was there?

"Huh? But I have no idea who she is either...!? Wait, what is that!?" Luka exclaimed, as a large hatch opened in front of the girl.

"Is that Promestein's base...?" he asked, as Black Alice disappeared through a portal, sending a last hungry look towards us, a shiver running down my back.

"Did the girl show us the enemy's base...? Galda, set us down there." he concluded, before we started our descent.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Black Alice)

The eighth Monster Lord had never been interested in any one man before, not really...

Humans were all weak and stupid, and they did not deserve to be anything but food to her.

There was no way she could ever stomach the idea of having any sort of relationship with one, beyond that of predator and prey that is...

The problem was, male monsters were exceedingly rare, and pretty much none of the few she had met had been worth much either.

As one who stood above all other monsters, Black Alice would not allow herself to be satisfied with just any random weakling...

Which was why the gentleman sitting atop the legendary bird above her had been so interesting to her.

Not only was he clearly not human, but he even seemingly possessed some of the traits of monsters among the most powerful, and even a hint of the current (albeit inferior) Lord.

Even more interesting was the fact that, apparently, even the stupid Goddess was wary of him...

And even his sculpted body and handsome face were to her liking!

Never before had Black Alice dreamed of such a perfect possible mate for herself...

And it went without saying that whatever she wanted, she would take, no matter who got in her way.

However, it was not time yet...

Soon, she would obtain the power she needed to make the world kneel to her, as it always should have.

And then she would have an eternity to enjoy together with what, she was sure, would become her absolute favourite toy...

Whether he be willing or not.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Daniel)

"There's no doubt. This must be Promestein's base. But who was that girl, and why did she show this to us?" Luka questioned.

"I told you, I haven't seen her before. But for our sake, I hope she's not an enemy..." I replied, gritting my teeth and scratching my horned head.

"...You know, I was really worried back at the castle, when I saw you looking like this... After what happened to Sara..." Luka trailed off awkwardly.

"Don't remind me... I thank my lucky star every day that I didn't go crazy like that... I don't even want to imagine it..." I shuddered.

"...When did it happen? Was it before, or after we met?" Luka asked.

"Haaah... I'd really rather explain it only once if you don't mind. And that means getting Alice back first." I declared.

"You're right... Wait for us, Alice." Luka resolutely agreed, as we slowly entered the hatch and stepped into Promestein's secret base.

~– ~ – ~

"Wh... What is this place!?" Luka yelled out in disbelief, as he overlooked the advanced machinery all around us.

"Promestein's not much for interior design, is she? All this grey metal and exposed wire..." I idly commented.

"...Let's go. We need to get further inside." Luka declared, right before a loud siren resounded througout the base, red lights flashing all over.

"Damn, were we already discovered!?" Luka cursed, as he lifted his sword.

However, contrary to his expectation, no one came to stop us.

"Eh...? Is nobody coming? What the heck is going on?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"This way. Come on." I urged him, as I opened a door leading to a long corridor lined with multiple doors to the side.

"Eh? Ah, sure. But how do you know where to go...?" Luka asked in surprise.

"I can feel Alice's aura in this direction. Though there's something different about it..." I truthfully replied, keeping to myself the fact I remembered the place's description from the game.

"...! Is she alright!? Alice!" Luka called out, as he rushed past me.

I just sighed, and leisurely followed after him, keeping my senses focused on my surroundings.

Now that I had finally understood what I had been doing wrong before, it was easy for me to keep my seventh sense active and focused together with my sixth.

Now that I thought about it though...

What was this new sense exactly?

I mean, the sixth one was able to detect both dark and elemental magic, but the seventh detected both elemental and Light energy, and something else...

But just what was that something else?

It 'looked' to me like some sort of faint transparent outline, but...

I stopped for a moment, as my eyes widened.

"No fucking way... That's..." I stammered in a low whisper, as I processed the implications of my discovery...

Namely, the fact I could apparently sense people's fucking SOULS now.

"...I guess I can't really call myself 'soulless' or shit like that after this, huh...?" I drily quipped to no one, my voice reverberating inside the metal walls.

A moment later, I felt Luka engaging an artificial monster's presence in one of the side-rooms of the long corridor.

"...Goddamn it, Luka! We literally needed to go in a straight line! I swear, that guy could get lost in his own house..." I sighed in annoyance, as I rushed after my friend.


	52. Chapter 51: Raiding a laboratory

I arrived just in time to see Luka finish off his enemy with a Death Sword Chaos Star, as he was now unable to utilise his elemental skills effectively due to the seal on the Spirits' power.

"Awawa..." the slime-like artificial monster lamented, as she melted into a puddle of viscuous liquid.

"Whew... I managed to win." Luka sighed in relief.

"What happened? Did you try to free one of them?" I questioned, overlooking the many artificial monsters floating in massive liquid-filled tanks, likely in a state of suspended animation.

"No, the tank opened on its own for some reason... Where were you?" Luka asked back.

"Sorry, I got distracted for a moment... Good job with the monster, I knew you could do it." I smiled apologetically.

"Thanks... But still... Even after that loud fight, no guards came? Just what is going on here?" Luka questioned.

"Well, there's an angry Monster Lord in the base. I'd say there couldn't be a better diversion, really." I shrugged.

"...! Alice!" Luka called out, as he rushed forward again.

Wow, he really was good at running after her like a faithful puppy...

I idly wondered how their talk in the castle had went, as I moved after him.

~– ~ – ~

"Is this Alice's handiwork? Everything's broken..." Luka observed, overlooking a breached metal barricade.

"Yeah, I think so. She should be fairly close now." I confirmed.

"...Wah! Another Chimeric monster!?" Luka exclaimed, pulling out his sword as he looked at a tentacled being crawling across the floor.

However, he needn't have bothered, because the monster immediately ran away, as if frightened by him.

"...Well, I guess not all of them are hostile, huh?" I idly commented.

"...Did their tanks break too? Were they let loose on purpose...?" Luka guessed.

"Who cares? Whatever the case, we have the advantage of surprise. Let's move, before we lose it." I urged.

"You're right... Let's move quickly." Luka agreed.

However, we did not make it far before one of the Chimeric monsters actually decided to approach us.

She was quite a tragic sight to behold...

Her body was mostly angelic in nature, with white feathered wings coming out of her back, but her limbs had been replaced with tentacles, her tongue switched out with an oversized one, and her eyes were covered with a strange mask.

"What does this mean? Why is a human walking freely around here?" the former angel questioned, her large tongue dribbling saliva all over her exposed chest.

"An angel...? Or...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"I was once an angel. But now... This body..." the Chimera trailed off, trembling in mournful rage.

"...I'm not your enemy... Will you let me pass through here?" Luka softly pleaded in a pitiful tone.

"...I can't help it, this body is so dry... I want to squeeze out men's semen, and suck them empty... I'll squeeze out all of your semen... I'll drink it all, and satisfy my thirst..." the monster replied in a pained tone, her body barring our way forward.

"She won't listen after all!" Luka yelled out, as he pulled out his sword and charged.

I simply sighed and blurred forward, swiftly taking the monster down with a terribly cliched hand-chop to the back of the neck.

"...Wow, I... Didn't think that would actually work." I admitted, blinking multiple times in surprise.

Then again, I supposed that me having enough strength to drive a huge monster through multiple floors of a giant castle also meant that I could probably hit hard enough to make the average small fry faint with a single hit...

Also, not gonna lie, cringy as it was to even think about it, there was something to say about the advantages of living in an Anime sometimes.

"...Well, that was fast. Do you think she's going to be alright...?" Luka questioned in concern.

"...Apart from having her body turned into a mess of slime and tentacles, you mean?" I asked back.

"...Do you think it can be undone?" Luka inquired.

"How should I know? I don't even know WHAT she has become at this point... But maybe your sword could do something? I mean, when you sealed the other Chimeras the different parts that composed them seemed to separate by themselves, leaving the original creature alive, so..." I trailed off.

"That... Sounds like it might work. And even if it didn't, she still wouldn't die, so..." Luka agreed, before swiftly stabbing the Chimera in the head.

As expected, the monster's form collapsed into motes of light, her soul drifting freely, any trace of Dark energy clinging to her rapidly vanishing as Luka's sword absorbed it.

"I think that worked... Though I don't really know for sure. I can't feel any Dark energy from her anymore, at least." I declared.

"Really? That's great... Thanks for the help, Daniel. It's hard for me to fight without the spirits..." Luka trailed off dejectedly.

"You underestimate yourself. Even without the Spirits, you're still a genius swordsman. You would have been fine even without me... Now, let's go find Alice." I concluded.

"Alright... Hm? Something's off... Why are the holes in the barriers so small? They're about... Tamamo's height? But she's still in the castle, isn't she...?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"Well, only one way to find out..." I shrugged, as we moved forward.

~– ~ – ~

"What's this...?" Luka said, as we entered a large room filled with advanced technology lining its walls, various monitors sitting behind a small partition.

And in the middle of it all...

Was absolutely no one.

Immediately, I schooled my expression and started looking around, simultaneously focusing my aura and soul senses to sweep the area around me.

However, to my immense fright, I could find absolutely no trace of anyone but me, Luka...

And the shrunken Alice, currently busting through the door at the end of the hall.

"Where are you, Promestein!? I will make you undo this seal on me! Come out, right now!" the small Monster Lord yelled angrily in a childish voice, as she crashed through the thick metal door.

"...!? What the... Alice!?" Luka yelled in disbelief, his jaw hanging low as he stared at the miniature version of the last member of our little group.

"Of course it's me, you idiot! There's no time to explain, but any idiot could tell it's me!" little Alice snapped back...

Then both of them turned to face me in surprise, as I couldn't help the snort escaping my nostrils swiftly devolving into unhinged laughter.

"What the... Stop laughing, you idiot! It's not funny, this is serious!" Alice shouted furiously.

"Hahaha, no way, this is the funniest thing thing I've ever seen! You look like a kid trying so hard to act like an adult, this is hilarious!" I mirthfully denied, my laughter continuing unabated.

"Grrrr... You...!" Alice stopped, as all of a sudden Luka rushed forward and hugged her.

"Alice... You're safe... Thank goodness..." he sighed in relief, holding her tightly.

"Wha... Unhand me, you idiot! This is no time for this kind of stupidity!" Alice yelled angrily, though her swishing tail and the blush on her face were a dead giveaway of her own relief.

"Alice... What happened to you? Why do you look like this?" Luka questioned.

However, before Alice could answer him, a hole in space suddenly opened in front of us, a familiar red-haired scientist visible on the other side.

Immediately, we all assumed a fighting stance, as I infused my body with light from my inner star.

"...? Here already? Well then, how did you find this place so quickly, I wonder...? And is that the Monster Lord...? I see... That could indeed nulify the Six Ancestors' Great Seal, if applied quickly enough... But how did you come up with that method in such a short time?"

Promestein calmly questioned, still standing on the other side of the portal as she overlooked Alice's new appearance.

"Hmph... That nasty fox taught me quite a lot. Though I never thought I'd seriously have to use that magic..." Alice conceded.

"Hmph. You can't bring forth even a tenth of your power in that body. With the Hero spiritless, your power is merely a fraction of what it was..." Promestein started, as her energy surged, traces of darkness present in it.

"...Except that I'm here too. And you'd better believe you'll have to pass over my cold, dead body before you get to my friends." I finished for her, my inner Light energy surging in turn.

Promestein turned to me, grimacing slightly in annoyance.

"Yes... Indeed I would be hard-pressed to take you down alone, even with the augmentations I've already made to my own body... However, can you afford to focus on me when something like this is here as well?" Promestein smirked, as the portal enlarged itself, a familiar gigantic Chimera slowly entering the room through it.

"...You have got to be shitting me. Don't you care if this place gets destroyed!? And where did you even get that thing in the first place!?" I asked in alarmed disbelief, as I overlooked the reactivated Giganto Weapon.

"The moment this facility's location was compromised every piece of information in here became a liability. As for how we attained this Giganto Weapon... Well, it was just sitting there in the castle's corridors in a sealed state, so we just picked it up as we passed by. It was hardly difficult to reactivate it, though it barely possesses a shadow of its original power unfortunately... It used to be quite the powerful weapon, but after a thousand years it's hardly surprising for it to have become diminished after all. Nevertheless, it should be more than enough to keep you busy..." Promestein explained, as she stepped through the portal herself, the hole in space closing behind her.

"TARGET OBTAINED. DESTROY." the Giganto weapon droned, as it started advancing towards me.

"...Shit! Luka, Alice, you guys take care of the scientist, I'll deal with the big one!" I yelled out, as I quickly spread my wings and flew towards the room's exit, the huge monster quickly chasing after me.

"...! Daniel!" Luka called out, as Promestein's body shifted under her labcoat, her aura expanding.

"This is a perfect opportunity. I wanted to try this body in actual combat. It's a special gene I implanted in my own body!" I heard the scientist shout, before I turned a corner, leading the Giganto Weapon away from my weakened friends.

~– ~ – ~

"Seriously, what is with me being chased by fucking everyone today!? I don't even like playing tag!" I quipped in exasperation, as I rushed through the facility's large corridors, the Giganto weapon trailing after me with single-minded ferocity.

"PACIFY TARGET WITH TENTACLES." the monster droned, as a multitude of appendages shot towards me.

I instantly turned to face the approaching tendrils, extending my claws a bit with my shapeshifting and using them to cut as many as I could.

Unfortunately, the moment I stopped moving the beast pounced on me, swiping downwards with its own huge claws.

I used my tails to block the powerful blow, and strongly pulled the limb to the side, managing to unbalance the great beast as I jumped towards it, my claws and tail-spears sinking into its chest, warm blood slowly trickling down my many limbs.

The beast roared loudly, causing the glass from various tanks and windows to shatter, as it tried to crush me under her weight.

I quickly slipped away, shaking some of the blood off of myself before spreading my wings and flying towards the monster's expressionless face.

Unfortunately, I was intercepted mid-flight by one of the monster's huge paws, and I crashed through multiple walls from the impact, coughing some blood of my own.

In only a few moments, my regeneration kicked in, just in time to avoid the monster's outstretched tentacle-tipped tail closing over my body, as I leaped over it instead.

I ran along the elongated limb, swiftly grabbing onto the beast's back.

Immediately, the monster started bucking wildly, trying to shake me off.

However, my hold on her was tight, as my many tails wrapped around her humanoid torso and neck, tightening as much as I could.

The beast grew desperate, and started rampaging indiscriminately around the secret facility, ramming through everything it could find.

I still held on, my tails starting to dig through the monster's body with all my strength...

Finally, I heard a loud crack, as the neck and spine of the beast both snapped, its reckless charge coming to a halt as her limp body skidded on the floor.

I knew, however, that this was not enough, as I felt the monster's bones shifting under my grip, the wounds slowly regenerating.

I immediately coated my right hand in sharp starlight, before plunging it into the beast's chest, crushing what, I instinctively knew, was the true core of its being.

Finally, I felt the monster's energy dissipate, this time truly and completely dead...

For a moment, I just stood in silence, slightly hunched over from fatigue, breathing heavily.

Then I straightened up and shapeshifted my skin to its most hydrophobic state, letting the blood slide off of me like water...

Even as I walked away perfectly clean, however, I knew that the stain would never truly go away, same as all the others I already carried.

Nevertheless, I had to move.

My friends were waiting.

And I knew this might have been the last time I would be able to see them both look at me without well-deserved hatred in their eyes...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Luka)

As his loyal comrade drew the huge monster's attention in order to keep both him and Alice safe, Luka once more felt frustrated at his own impotence.

However, he would not let Daniel down, even as he was facing a powerful opponent with artificial Spirits without the help of his own.

"What is this? How is the aura of monster magic flowing from your body!?" Alice asked in disbelief, as Promestein revealed her true power, her aura a crazy mixture of both Light and Dark.

"Hero, you saw the mixture of angel and monster already, didn't you? My own body is the final product of those experiments..." the mad scientist trailed off, as she shed her labcoat and uncovered her strange plant-like amalgam of a body.

"W... What the!?" Luka exclaimed.

"S... Seaweed!?" Alice asked in disbelief, with just a tinge of hunger.

"This is ancient monster seaweed, an extinct life-form close to the origin of all monsters. You plebeians might not understand what it means, but I have revived an extinct life-form! After experimenting on thousands of monsters, I chose this monster seaweed to be a part of my very body!" Promestein proudly declared.

"I don't care about any of that!" Luka yelled back in disgust.

"Don't be proud about being part seaweed, you fool!" Alice scoffed, eyeing the plant parts in a slightly hungry manner.

Luka immediately rushed forward, his blade dancing in his hands as he started wailing on his opponent.

"Hya!" Alice yelled out, as she rushed in as well, actually managing to harm the angel with her fist.

"Alice's attack hit her...?" Luka stopped in surprise.

"I knew it. With your present body, my attacks seem to be able to land. Burdening yourself with the body of a monster, and creating your own weakpoint... It looks like your experiment was a huge failure." Alice smugly commented.

"Haha... You think so? Why do you think I chose an ancient, primitive seaweed gene instead of a powerful monster's? Raw physical power was not a factor... You should look deeper, into the roots of why! Hero, accept the gift of pleasure, and come..." the angel laughed, as her plant-like arm shot towards Luka's crotch, applying a strong suction before being torn away by the blade in his hands.

Luka rushed forward once again, unleashing a Thunder Thrust followed by a Demon Decapitation.

"I'll drink it all down... Now come on, come." Promestein drawled, as she swiftly lifted the Hero's body, putting her mouth on his crotch and tasting him.

"Guh..." Luka grimaced at the powerful stimulation, as he quickly struggled free and jumped back, pulling his pants back up.

"How are you feeling? I'll squeeze the Hero's semen personally..." the angel smiled seductively.

"Guh... She's strong!" Luka exclaimed, holding his sword tight.

"Haha... Now for the finishing blow... Become the prey of this ancient seaweed!" Promestein declared, as countless green tendrils extended from her body.

At that moment, Luka knew he would not be able to take this next attack.

If even one of those tentacles managed to wrap around him, it would have been the end of him.

And once again, in his head, the Hero heard the words of his wise best friend, as he told him to correct his fighting style.

With a small smirk on his face, Luka closed his eyes, and DODGED, his movements akin to a flowing dance as he weaved through every single tendril of green.

"...! It can't be! All of the spirits were sealed!" Promestein yelled in disbelief, recognizing in the Hero in front of her the signs of an active Serene Mind.

"...True, you took away some of my friends... But not all of them." Luka calmly concluded, as he charged forward, his blade effortlessly cutting through the enely's defenses with masterful grace.

"How can you move like that even after I sealed your spirits!? You should be as good as powerless now! Foolishness! It makes no sense!" the scientist complained, as the Hero effortlessly weaved through her every attempt to entrap him.

"My serene state of mind... I never lost it to begin with. It was always there... I was just too preoccupied to notice." Luka explained.

"...What are you talking about? Quit babbling!" Promestein ordered.

"Hehe... Bound by only what you understand, you're a horrible opponent. His idiotic ways will always confound any calculations you've made!" Alice scoffed, as she swiped at the enemy with her tail.

"Come, Zylphe!" the scientist yelled out, as the power of wind encompassed her, augmenting her speed.

"Haha... How about this? You should know most of all the fear that the Spirits can cause..." Promestein laughed dangerously, as she prepared to rush towards the Hero.

However, her bloodlust was like a shining beacon of danger to Luka, and he knew an attack was coming even before Promestein could move.

"First I'll take away your freedom... Then I'll take my time to deal with you..." the scientist drawled seductively, as she charged forward, faster than ever before.

However, Luka was untouchable, as he weaved through her every attempt to grapple him with immense swiftness, retaliating with a powerful blow.

"What the...!? How can you react faster than me, when I have the spirit of wind!?" Promestein asked in disbelief.

"Promestein, are you able to hear the voice of the wind...?" Luka questioned.

"What are you babbling about? The wind has no voice!" the scientist deadpanned.

"Then you'll never manage to use the spirit. The voice of the wind is telling me it wants to rage around more..." Luka sighed.

"Guh... Quit it with the nonsense!" Promestein yelled out, as she charged forward once again.

The rest of the fight was completely one-sided, the scientist utterly unable to even touch the young Hero.

Finally, Promestein fell on one knee, her energy nearly depleted.

"I lost...? Impossible... This can't be! You should be powerless!" the scientist shouted in disbelief.

"It looks like you're having trouble, Professor Seaweed. Before you take the finishing blow, I'll have you remove this seal. The Six Ancestors' Great Seal on my real body..." Alice declared.

"...Real body?" Luka questioned.

"Hah... I can't undo the seal. Once the technique has started, not even I can stop it." Promestein scoffed.

"Wh... What did you say!?" Alice asked in disbelief.

"The Six Ancestors' Great Seal's power to maintain itself is taken from the very person it's sealing. So once it's in place, nobody from the outside can break it. It's only released once the magic power maintaining it is lost... In other words, once the one being sealed is dead." Promestein elaborated.

"What...? Then I'm stuck in this form!?" Alice yelled fearfully.

"No, there's no need for that... Because you will die here! I still hold my trump card!" Promestein replied, as she took out a syringe filled with what felt like pure evil and aimed it at her own neck...

Only for it to disappear from her hand a moment afterwards in a blur of motion, as Daniel suddenly appeared behind her.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Black Alice)

As soon as she exited the portal, the eight Monster Lord sat down in front of the various monitors connected to the cameras around the angelic scientist's laboratory, already smirking as she sipped a cup of delicious tea while watching the spectacle of destruction she had orchestrated.

She was really looking forward to seeing the face of her 'ally' when she realized she had been outsmarted by her.

However, her interest was currently mostly focused on someone else.

The strange male monster was strong, this she already knew.

But the question was: is he predator, or prey?

It was an important distinction to make, as even if he was strong of body, if his mind was weak than he was worth less than nothing.

And from what little she had seen of him, he had not taken a life, even as the angelic bugs buzzing around him dared to threaten him.

Perhaps she had been too hasty in her judgement, too eager to finally realize one of her long-standing wants...

That notion was forgotten the moment she watched him crush the ancient chimera's bones like twigs and clawed his way to her heart without a hint of mercy.

A mad smirk spread across the false little girl's face, as she shivered in anticipation, barely holding herself back from making a portal and taking him right there and then...

Unfortunately, she knew it was not time yet.

However, that didn't mean she couldn't make an appearance anyway...

After all, courting was meant to be a long and delightful process, as the two predator's hunger for each other grew to the limit...

And then, and only then, would the real feast begin.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Daniel)

"...Well, that was easy. Now the question is... What the hell do I do with this?" I asked aloud, as I held in my hand a syringe filled with what felt like the purest distillation of darkness.

"Daniel!" Luka and Alice called out in relief, seeing my unscratched body.

"...! No! Give that back!" Promestein yelled desperately, as she shot towards me, making a grab for the medical tool in my hand.

Unfortunately for her, she was far too weakened to be able to match my speed, and I swiftly blurred from my spot, reappearing in front of my friends.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with 'no', handing back the enemy's trump card after managing to steal it would be stupid, even by my standards... Anyway, shouldn't a scientist like you be ashamed of using something like this without testing it first? Really, one would think that given the potential effects on your mental state this stuff obviously has you'd think twice about using it..." I argued, eyeing the impossibly dark substance in the syringe with curiosity.

"...! How could you possibly know that!? Just who are you!?" Proemstein exclaimed in disbelief.

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know... Unfortunately, I think the time for discussion is over. I would surrender if I was you, I know you're smart enough to know when to cut your losses." I declared, putting the syringe away in my pants' pocket as Luka and Alice assumed a fighting stance behind me.

"No... I won't let it end like this...!" Promestein refused, taking a step back towards the room's exit.

A moment before I blurred forward to grab her however, a chill ran down my spine, as yet another portal appeared in a corner of the room, a familiar overwhelming dark aura pouring out through it.

"Hehe, how pathetic, Promestein... You really are a weakling. Oh well, I suppose your opponent this time is a bit beyond expectation..." Black Alice mocked, as she stepped through the portal, smiling innocently.

"Black Alice..." Promestein called out nervously.

"Black... Alice!?" Luka repeated incredulously, as he recognized the girl's name.

"Goddess Ilias doesn't wish for your brain to be broken yet. It would have been quite troubling if this gentleman didn't stop you from using the unfinished 'White Rabbit' in desperation..." Black Alice said, as she briefly turned to face us, licking her lips and sending yet another chill down my spine that I forcefully suppressed.

"...That said, please, cool your head off for a bit." the false little girl concluded as she snapped her fingers and created yet another portal below Promestein who fell right through it.

"Ah...! Damn you, you fox girl!" was all the scientist could say, before disappearing through the magic.

"Fox girl is so uncute... I'd prefer Rabbit girl." Black Alice smiled, as she turned to face us.

I was seriously starting to be creeped out by the looks she kept giving Luka as he stood beside me...

"...I agree that nothing about a fox is cute, but... Who the hell are you!? Why did you assume the name of the eight Monster Lord, 'Black Alice'? Your appearance, too... You're even trying to look just like her! What do you have to gain by mimicking that ancient Monster Lord!?" Alice asked indignantly.

"Hehe... I didn't take anyone's name. I am Alipheese the eight. Even if the figure can be faked, the magic power can't... If you desire, I could give a more direct proof of my power..." Black Alice smirked, as her energy surged, an ominous feeling of pressure spreading throughout the room.

Luka and Alice both grimaced, as their energy resisted against the powerful oppression.

Black Alice looked smugly at the both of them, before her eyes widened fractionally as she noticed my body was utterly unaffected by her power, my stance unflinching as the darkness flowed through the space my body occupied, making me feel rather energized instead.

Our eyes met for a moment, and I forced myself to hold my ground, instinctively aware that if I showed any sign of weakness, the monster in front of me would not waste any time in killing me.

"...But how!? Black Alice was destroyed by the legendary Hero Heinrich!" Alice yelled in disbelief, as Black Alice turned her gaze to her with but a hint of rage in her eyes.

"...Yes... It's regrettable, but I was struck down 500 years ago. But just before I was about to fall into the world of the dead, Goddess Ilias saved me." Black Alice explained, turning her gaze away from me.

"Ilias did? Why would she help a monster that she hates so much...?" Luka questioned.

"Hehe... Goddess Ilias has her own circumstances. There are one or two things we can't tell you..." Black Alice chuckled, as she hugged her teddy bear tight.

"So you became her dog? A previous Monster Lord... Now a slave to Ilias!?" Alice furiously demanded.

Black Alice's gaze turned downright murderous for a split second, before she seemingly caught herself and coughed lightly into her hand, sneaking a peek towards Luka and me.

"First a fox, now a dog... How horrible. I think rabbit is cuter." the old Monster Lord smiled beatifically, as she looked down on the diminished Alice, making her grind her teeth in frustration.

"Ah, that reminds me, I have a message from Ilias..." Black Alice announced, before coughing lightly into her small hand.

When she spoke again, the voice she used was completely unfamiliar to me, her smile never faltering as she repeated the Goddess' message in her own voice.

"Oh brave Luka... I have been troubled since you have fallen into darkness. Why has a Hero of humans become a traitor, and joined the ranks of monsters? Why have humans, whom I have loved and guided, continued their mixing with monsters?" Black Alice asked in a mournful voice.

None of us spoke a word, as we nervously waited for her to continue.

"...I have come to a conclusion. Humans that do not listen to the voice of their Goddess are not needed any longer. I shall cleanse the world of humans, and create the world anew." Ilias' voice declared through the blonde girl's throat.

"Create the world anew...? Cleanse the world of humans? No way..." Luka repeated in horrified disbelief.

"...Yes, bring the current realm of humans to extinction. It is the Goddess' will." Black Alice confirmed. her voice returned to normal.

"Don't screw around! Destroying humanity!?" Luka exclaimed in an enraged voice.

"Hehe, it will be such a lovely party... And I'm in the role of hostess. I have plenty of fun ideas. I'll liven up the last days of humanity has! The arrangements have already been made, too. Hehe." Black Alice chuckled with a malicious smirk.

"Who would ever allow that!?" Alice roared, as she leaped towards the blonde girl.

Black Alice's eyes narrowed as her smile stretched, her aura gathering in her small hand as she started moving.

I instantly realized her intentions, and before I knew it I was already in motion as well.

I blurred from my position, rapidly intercepting the weakened Alice's fist with my back, while swiftly deflecting Black Alice's hand to the side with all of my strength, my scaled hand holding her wrist tightly as her power discharged, blowing a hole in the laboratory's walls to our side with a tremendous explosion of darkness.

"...! Alice! Daniel!" Luka called out, as he lifted his blade and started approaching.

Immediately I held out my free arm to stop him, my eyes affixed to Black Alice's own in an attempt to keep myself from showing any fear, a low, threatening growl instinctively emanating from my throat.

Black Alice blinked a couple times in surprise, before meeting my gaze.

After a few seconds of silence, she smirked again, a light blush on her face.

...What?

"Oh my, how forward... Holding a young lady's hand so forcefully... Hehe." the blonde girl giggled, as I slowly let go of her, desperately forcing myself to keep my eyes steadily on hers, ignoring the chills running down my back.

"Well then, have a nice day. I do so look forward to our next meeting. Farewell!" Black Alice smiled, as she held her stuffed bear's right hand, using it to wave goodbye to us in a childish manner.

In the next moment, a portal appeared to her side, and she threw a last amused look in our direction before finally stepping through it and disappearing from the room.

The moment I could not feel her aura anymore, my posture relaxed fractionally, and I drew a heavy sigh of relief.

"Daniel! Alice! Are you both alright!?" Luka yelled in concern.

"I'm fine. Alice, how about you?" I asked.

"...I'm unharmed. Thank you for saving me." Alice replied in her usual tone.

Luka breathed a sigh of relief, sending me a look of gratitude before turning to look at the damage left behind by the attack with a pensive expression.

"Destroying the human race...?" he repeated in disbelief.

"The tyranny of the Goddess is finally clear. It seems her hatred is no longer limited to monsters." Alice commented.

"Alice, I'm glad you're alright... But what's with your appearance...? Did you turn into that form because of that seal?" Luka questioned.

"No... In order to slip away from the seal, I did it to myself. This is a temporary vessel... Not my real body. My real body is still trapped in subspace." Alcie explained.

"Err... I'm not quite sure what that all means..." Luka admitted.

"I'll explain the minor details later. For now, look around you. Doesn't this place seem to be some sort of major laboratory?" Alice pointed out.

"Y... Yeah..." Luka agreed, as he overlooked the advanced technology around him.

"We should search for clues. Maybe we could even find something to break the seal." Alice declared.

"You're right... But where do we start? I have no idea what all these machines even do..." Luka pointed out.

"Isn't there something like a research diary...? Daniel, what are you doing over there?" Alice asked, as I booted up a computer sitting on a lone desk.

"Let's see... Obviously the OS isn't going to be Windows 10... Oh well, at least it's almost certainly not going to be Vista either." I quipped, as I started going through a few CDs sitting on a shelf, looking over the various abbreviated labels on their casings.

"...What the hell are you talking about!?" Luka asked loudly in confusion.

"Daniel, do you know how to operate these machines...?" Alice questioned in surprise.

"Well, some of them at least. Though they ARE a bit different from what I'm used to... Also, most of this stuff is probably going to be encrypted, and I have absolutely no idea how to bypass that... This looks useful though." I admitted, as I found a disk labeled 'Project WR00027' and put it in the active PC's disk tray.

"...What are all these silver disks supposed to be anyway? There's thousands of them all over the place." Luka asked.

"Data storage devices. Don't know how much they can contain, but way more than a few books' worth of text each, most likely. No real idea how these ones work, though the system I'm most familiar with uses extremely precise lasers to both engrave and read out information... Damn, of course I'd need a password for this." I cursed, looking at the popup on the screen.

"...Daniel." Alice called out in a serious tone, prompting me to turn around to face her.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I have been very patient with you so far. I always respected your privacy, despite my own concerns, and never called you out on your obvious subterfuges, trusting that you would eventually come clean on your own..." Alice started, before taking a deep breath.

"I now see that I severely underestimated the degree of disinformation you enacted. And unfortunately, I no longer have the leisure to wait. My people are in danger, and as the Monster Lord I have a responsibility to protect them. I can't afford to let you keep vital information to yourself any longer..." Alice continued, crossing her arms in front of her chest and closing her eyes.

"That said, I am also fully aware that, as things currently stand, I have no way to force you to talk. Not only are you most likely immune to all of my mind-altering techniques, but you are also currently evidently superior to both I and Luka as a combatant. Nevertheless, I am inclined to believe that you are on our side, if only for the fact that if you wished us harm it would be trivial for you to act upon that desire..." Alice trailed off, opening her eyes again to meet my own gaze.

"So, the only thing I can realistically do is ask you... Daniel, who are you, really?" Alice concluded, her eyes still boring into mine.


	53. Chapter 52: Stalling and delaying

Silence reigned after Alice's question, as I stared back at Alice's serious expression.

I had known this was coming of course.

I had spent weeks preparing myself for it.

I still didn't have the strength to go through with it more than once however...

Meaning that my only choice was to stall, if only a bit longer.

"...I'm sorry. I promise you both, I WILL explain everything, but not here and now." I declared.

"Why not?" Alice asked, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Multiple reasons. First, while I may not be an expert in this technology, I know enough to suspect the existence of hidden listening devices, and I would bet money on Promestein installing a crapton of them in her labs, even just for research purposes. Second, we are short on time, and there's no way to know if our enemies could come back at any second. Third, I would much rather only explain everything only once, and I want some people who aren't here right now to hear it also." I enumerated, purposefully avoiding to mention the magical window that was still floating above Luka's head factoring into my decision as well.

"...I see. Can you at least tell us who else are you referring to?" Alice acquiesced with a sigh.

"Tamamo, for one. And another person. Not gonna name them here, sorry." I replied.

"...Very well. I trust that you know what you're doing. But Daniel..." Alice trailed off.

"...? What is it?" I asked.

"...No, it's nothing." Alice shook her head, before picking up one of the many silver disks in one of the boxes and licking it, of all things.

"...Alice, what are you doing?" Luka called out in disbelief, as Alice's face scrunched in concentration, before she started talking in a slightly mechanical voice.

"Month 10, day 21, no problem with cell culture A10235. X2 Denon body separated, kept at womb temperature." Alice recited.

"...What are you talking about, Alice?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"Hmm, indeed, these discs store information on the shiny side. What a complex flavor..." Alice commented in a contemplative voice.

"...I'm not even gonna question it. No sir." I drily quipped at the impossibility of my friend's biology, as I lamely retrieved the disc I had tried accessing from the running PC's disk tray.

"Then is there something about the seal in there? Also, is there anything about the spirits being sealed in these discs?" Luka asked.

"They certainly seem worth investigating... But there are far too many." Alice made a face, overlooking the thousands upon thousands of boxes filled with CDs.

At that moment, a familiar aura entered the edge of my range above us.

"Ooooi! Moooonster Looord!" Tamamo's voice resounded through the room, coming from directly above us.

"Hmm...? From above... Luka. Stay completely still if you don't want to die." Alice ordered, as I felt Tamamo's aura surging in preparation.

I immediately took a hasty leap towards the exit of the room, knowing what was about to happen.

"Eh...? Ahhh!" Luka shrieked acutely, as a chunk of the ceiling fell but a few feet in front of him (and right where I had been a second before of course, I learned from my misatkes), crushing to the floor with a thunderous impact, leaving a behind hole through which the sky could be seen.

"Oooh, Luka's here too... What's with the sciency room?" Tamamo commented in confusion, as she dropped into the room, sliding down a rope she had somehow prepared.

"Hey Tamamo. Glad to see you're alright." I greeted the small Kitsune, who immediately turned to me.

"Ah... Thank you... Cough. " Tamamo slowly enunciated, hiding her face behind her fan and trying her hardest not to look at me for some reason...

Then I noticed the grey bundle she was holding with one arm, and realized what the issue was...

Namely, the fact I had been runnign around topless for the last few hours.

"...! Hey... Is that my hoodie?" I asked in a slightly strained voice.

"...Yes, I thought you might want it back... I picked it up on the way out of the castle. Here." Tamamo confirmed, holding out the clothes for me to take.

"...Thank you kindly." I said gratefully, as I hastily shapeshifted my wings away and put on the clothes I had been missing, blushing heavily.

A moment later my skin went from flushed to deathly pale, as I noticed a terrifying detail...

My hoodie's pockets were empty.

"...? Daniel, are you alright? You went pale all of a sudden..." Luka asked in a concerned tone.

"...You forgot you were shirtless all this time, didn't you?" Alice asked in a deadpan tone.

"...! Haha... Yeah... That was pretty dumb of me, huh? Anyway Tamamo, did you have something you wanted to tell Alice? You were yelling her name pretty loudly before..." I pointed out in a fake light tone, inwardly shitting my pants at the implications of my discovery.

"...Ah, that's right! I have a more important report! We've heard reports that towns and villages across the world are being attacked by chimeric beasts and angels!" Tamamo rapidly explained as all of us turned to look at her.

"Wh... What!? Ilias Village... Is my hometown alright!?" Luka yelled in alarm, his eyes widening in fear as he pressed for more information.

"...As you know, Ilias Village is very close to a shrine to Ilias. The angels are descending from the temples, so whether they chose it as an early target or not..." Tamamo uncomfortably elaborated, unable to meet the Hero's eyes.

"N... No..." Luka staggered back, his footing unsteady for a moment, before overwhelming rage filled his expression.

I barely restrained my wince, my heart feeling as if stabbed by a knife.

Of course, I knew my own guilt-induced pain to be nothing compared to what my friend was feeling.

And that only made things worse...

"I'll never forgive her!" Luka shouted furiously, as he leaped towards the dangling rope, heading towards the outside.

"Oi, wait! Stop I said! Listen to what I have to say!" Tamamo yelled after him, only for him to ignore her and reach the outside.

Alice immediately chased after him, also ignoring Tamamo's yelling.

"I'm going too. These discs all contain encrypted information, you're gonna need to assemble a team to decipher them. Maybe look for references to four towers as a priority. We'll see each other again in Enrika." I told her, before spreading my wings again.

"...!? Hey, wait!" Tamamo called out once again, as I shot out of the underground base and joined my friends on the legendary bird's back.

"Head to Ilias village! As fast as you can!" Luka ordered to Galda, who for once obeyed without complaint, having sensed the urgency in his voice...

And as we took off, I silently braced myself for what, I knew, would likely be the worst day of my life.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Black Alice)

As soon as the portal closed behind the false little girl's back, leaving her alone in her personal quarters, a giddy smile split her face, as she jumped up and down in excitement, hugging her teddy bear tight.

"Kyaah! I knew it! He's perfect! Ah, I need to prepare everything! I need a new dress, new shoes, and so many more things!" Black Alice squealed happily, already fantasizing about all of the many things she wanted to try doing together with the man she had chosen.

"Oh, we're going to have so much fun together! We're going to have all of the tea parties, take long walks through the flower gardens together, a romantic candlelit dinner, and then... Hehehehehe..." the girl laughed with a flushed face, but a smidgen of drool coming out of her mouth.

"...My Lord? Is everything okay?" a servant timidly asked, after politely knocking on the closed door a couple of times.

Black Alice instantly collected herself, wiping the drool from her mouth and coughing into her hand to clear her throat.

"Yes, everything is fine... Do come in Nala, I have an assignment for you." the ancient Monster Lord commanded.

The servant slowly opened the door, revealing herself to be a young Rabbit Girl with light brown furry ears.

"W-what would you have me do, my Lord?" the Rabbit Girl politely inquired, keeping her gaze low to the floor.

"No need to stand on ceremony Nala. As long as you are loyal to me, you have nothing to fear." Black Alice proudly declared, smiling warmly to her subordinate.

Indeed, a true ruler was as kind to those loyal to her as ruthless towards her enemies.

Of course, it went without saying that anyone who betrayed her would end up begging for death...

"...! Yes, my Lord. Thank you... How may I help you?" the girl named Nala asked, a bit more relaxed now.

"I need you to gather our best seamstresses and shoemakers. I need a new wardrobe. Also, I will soon bring a guest to dinner, tell the chef to prepare a new menu for me to approve. Something good for a candlelit soiree." Black Alice enumerated.

"My Lord, have you finally found a gentleman to your liking?" Nala asked before she could think about it.

Black Alice just chuckled good-naturedly in response.

"Hehe, indeed, that is exactly the case, my dear Nala. Oh, you can't imagine my joy right now..." Black Alice confirmed with a smile on her face, blushing lightly.

"That is marvelous! I will go spread the word immediately so that no one even thinks of approaching him first!" the Rabbit Girl declared happily.

"My, how thoughtful of you, dear Nala. Do make it clear, however, that the gentleman himself does not know yet, and the angels are not to hear of this. We may be nominally allied, but I don't trust some of them not to try and use this information against me. Of course I would just devour them afterwards, but I would be most displeased if they did something so foolish..." Black Alice concluded in a calm voice, her eyes narrowed in a malicious smirk.

"...! O-of course my Lord! I will make it clear that no one is to interfere! May I ask you for the gentleman's name so that I can spread the word?" the Rabbit Girl pleaded, forcefully represing her trembling.

"Of course, dear Nala. The name of the man is Daniel. He is currently travelling with the disgraced Hero Luka and the diminished current Monster Lord. Ah, and while you're at it, do tell the chef to bre some tea for me. " Black Alice replied, before dismissing her servant.

Mere minutes later, Nala came back with a tray filled with tea and cookies.

And as Black alice savored her treats, she started planning her future approach to the gentleman who had stolen her heart...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Promestein)

"...This place..." the scientist spoke, as she took in her familiar surroundings, having just regained consciousness after having been thrown through a portal by the ancient Monster Lord.

"The Drain Lab, Master Promestein. Black Alice transferred you here." La Croix's voice made the scientist turn, now facing her cloaked figure wearing a birdlike mask.

"Vitals are normal. While you were asleep, the damage you sustained has been healed." Laplace's mechanical voice explained, her humanoid central processing module connected to the ceiling with multiple wires.

"La Croix... And even Laplace." Promestein hummed in recognition.

"You had a lot of wounds. Is he that strong? That Hero, Luka?" a woman wearing a green dress that barely covered her asked.

"Lucia... I see, so all three have been gathered. Everything is within the planning range... But the results weren't as good as expected. Despite being in a weak body, the Monster Lord managed to evade the seal. Although the Hero was greatly weakened, he is not completely powerless... And the mutant revealed himself to be a much bigger problem than expected. To make matters even worse, Black Alice is already aware of 'White Rabbit'." Promestein enumerated.

"...So we couldn't monopolize it." La Croix commented.

"The one most in synch with 'White Rabbit' would most definitely be Black Alice. She's from the Monster Lord's bloodline... A direct tie to the dark existence of the Dark God. We have left her unattended until now with her knowledge of 'White Rabbit'..." Promestein continued.

"She watched and waited with her incomplete knowledge as we researched. Then when the time was right, she came and took it." Lucia explained.

"In addition, she's firmly in the palm of Ilias' hand." Promestein shrugged, before looking at her allies.

"...La Croix, Laplace, Lucia. Including me, we are from diferent races. Angel, Monster, Human, and Machine. What is it that we all have in common?" the scientist asked.

"It goes without saying. I simply wish to master all of the dark arts, and arrive at the truth..." La Croix declared.

"My existence is to silently execute." Laplace recited.

"To master the secrets of alchemy, and learn the truth of the world." Lucia proclaimed.

"That's right... We are the seekers of truth. O vercoming any obstacle, and making any fellow truth-seekers our allies. Anyone who would put a lid on the exploration of deeper knowledge... Even a God themself. They shall face our fangs." Promestein smiled darkly, before turning to her masked ally.

"La Croix, don't let anyone near the device. Neither the Hero nor the Monster Lord... Or anyone else, of course." the scientist commanded.

"...Leave it to me. I have already dispatched members of my Cirque du Croix... I will accomplish my duty, and fulfill my obligations." La Croix assured.

"Good. Laplace, deal with the prisoners of war. Acquire and store as much energy as you can for what's to come." Promestein ordered.

"...Acknowledged." Laplace replied.

"Then I'll head back to my village. As a messenger of slaughter and destruction..." Lucia declared.

"There's no need for you to go personally... But I do not mind. Do as you like." Promestein agreed.

"It's important for me to oversee it... Well then, I shall take my leave." Lucia concluded, before departing.

"...I cannot fathom why she cares about that village. What reason does she have to concern herself with a deserted village in the middle of nowhere?" Laplace questioned.

"...La Croix threw away her hometown long ago. Laplace... I created you from scratch, so you never had one to begin with. Lucia... She's going to completely destroy it. It's a ritual for herself... So to speak." Promestein explained.

"...I cannot understand it. Human thoughts are too irrational." Laplace scoffed.

"Haha... That's why I like human beings. Now then, I suppose I shall also need to carry out my duty." Promestein concluded.

"Very well then, I shall also take my leave..." La Croix declared, before the group separated.

Minutes later, from a hidden corner of a room an angel in a pink dress came out.

"...This feels soooo suspicious! Information for Master Eden!" the Cupid singsang, before moving towards her master.

~– ~ – ~

After departing from her fellow Seekers, Promestein quickly headed to her personal quarters.

After sealing the door behind her, the scientist then proceeded to quickly scan the room with one of her devices.

Satisfied at the lack of anything suspicious, she then proceeded to press a hidden button on the wall, quickly typing out a password only she knew.

A hidden door opened, leading to a small flight of stairs.

Promestein immediately rushed down the steps, her previous emotionless facade all but disappearing as she sealed herself in her most secure location by transporting the entire facility she was in to a small pocket dimension.

Then, and only then, she finally took out the two items she had hidden within her labcoat's secret extradimensional pocket.

With trembling hands, the scientist lifted the smooth glass and plastic rectangle in her right hand, and put it in one of her scanning devices.

As she waited for the results, she then turned her attention to the other item.

It looked to be a small faux-leather rectangle bent in half.

She gingerly opened it, and within it she found more plastic in the form of various cards.

Slowly lifting the biggest and most significant one of them, she opened it, and read the information written inside.

"...So this is your full name huh, Daniel? I wonder if it has any significance in your native language..." Promestein pondered aloud, her face split by a rare smile as she held in her hands the unquestionable proof of her life's meaning.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Daniel)

"Is Ilias village safe? Galda, hurry!" Luka incited, as we flew through the air on the legendary bird's back.

"...Calm down, Luka. Getting impatient here won't help you. If you rush into battle in a rage and get defeated, just think about what will happen to the villagers you're trying to help." Alice warned.

"Y... You're right. I have to calm down... Calm down... Calm..." Luka breathed deeply, slowly slipping into his Serene Mind.

"...Thank you, Alice. I'm calm now." Luka declared in a much quieter, but stll resolute voice.

I just stayed silent, looking over the horizon towards our destination.

"...By the way Alice, I had some questions. Why are you in that small form?" Luka questioned.

"..As Promestein put the Six Ancestors' Great Seal on me, I placed my seal on myself. Normally a seal can only be placed by someone stronger than the one sealed... But the Six Ancestor's Great Seal uses a foul mechanism to become as powerful as the one being sealed." Alice explained.

"Ah, I remember Promestein mentioning something about that. That it was even used to seal the First Monster Lord and the 'Six Ancestors'..." Luka commented.

"T... The First!? And even the legendary Six Ancestors!?" Alice exclaimed loudly.

"Eh? You didn't know?" Luka asked in surprise.

I looked behind me for a moment, meeting Alice's narrowed eyes for but a second before she sighed and turned away.

"...I want to hear more about that later. Anyway, the Great Seal's power and effectiveness grown with the strength of the target it's placed on. Then... What if the target was weak?" Alice questioned.

"Of course... The seal itself would be weak." Luka guessed.

"That's right. The Great Seal is only effective against incredibly powerful beings. Thus, I put my body in a subspace barrier. I created this temporary vessel, and sent it out of the barrier. And that's what this body is here now." Alice concluded.

"So basically... You're a fake Alice?" Luka asked in confusion.

"This body is my own, and it houses my own mind. It may be hard for you to understand, but I'm the real deal. Nevertheless, my body is still confined in the subspace barrier. I cannot fight if I can't do something about this seal..." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"But Promestein said there was no way to cancel it..." Luka pointed out.

"...Anyway, we can only do everything we can without giving up. Right now, Tamamo is back in that lab deciphering the discs." Alice shrugged.

"How did you find that laboratory?" Luka inquired.

"The moment I came out of the barier in this body, I was in that laboratory. The magic power that brought me there... When we encountered Black Alice, I realized it was hers." Alice confessed.

"Black Alice is the one who guided me and Daniel there too. What reason did she have for bringing us all to an ally's base...?" Luka questioned.

"...Who says they are allies?" Alice asked back.

"Eh?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

"An angel, a crazy scientist, and a former Monster Lord... I don't think that's a great combination. Perhaps the relationships between them are not that strong?" Alice posited.

"That could be true... What do you think, Daniel?" Luka asked me.

"...From what I can tell, Black Alice doesn't really care about Promestein, and the feeling's probably mutual. They're probably just using each other for their own ends." I shrugged noncommittingly.

"...It doesn't seem like the forces of Heaven are all in unison. It would be good if we could exploit that." Alice commented.

"That's right. We're at too big of a disadvantage now..." Luka agreed.

"Don't worry about it too much. Just take it one step at a time." I offered.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea... Daniel..." Luka started.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Can I ask you a question?" Luka pleaded.

"...I can't guarantee an answer yet, but you can certainly ask." I conceded.

"...No, nevermind. I'll just wait. Sorry." Luka apologized.

"It's fine. I'm sorry as well. I know how frustrating this must be for you. If I had had any other choice..." I trailed off, unsure how to end my sentence.

"...What's with the color of the sky...?" Luka suddenly questioned, drawing my attention back to our rapidly greying surroundings.

I braced myself yet again for what, I knew, would be the worst guilt yet...

"What's going on? Alice, can you see the village?" Luka asked, turning to face our comrade.

Alice just stayed silent, her narrowed eyes studying the horizon...

Her frown told both me and Luka everything we needed to know.

"No... It must be a mistake! Galda, faster!" Luka yelled in desperation, as the legendary bird accelerated towards the ground.

~– ~ – ~

As we reached the devastated village's border Luka, Alice and I jumped off from Galda's back.

All that was left of Ilias village was only smouldering ruins littered with a few corpses...

Instead of closing them, I forced my eyes open.

I had no right to run away from this.

If anything, I deserved much worse...

"T... This can't be... No..." Luka stammered quietly, as he overlooked the destroyed buildings slowly burning into ashes.

"No... No..." Luka kept repeating, as he stared in disbelief at the ruins of his old life.

I hated myself for feeling glad I never had to witness the same thing, no matter the reason...

I wanted to run, I wanted to disappear...

But when an unfamiliar voice resounded through the air, saying a familiar line, I forced myself to hold still, despite my heart burning with murderous wrath.

"Ara... Your homecoming is a bit late, Hero. You took so long, that nobody stuck around to welcome you back." the female voice said, as a shadow radiating a bright aura appeared before us, a single angel descending into the scene of slaughter.

Instantly, Luka stood up, looking at the six-winged being in front of us, his eyes filled with absolute, overwhelming hatred.

"Did you destroy this village?" he asked, with a voice much calmer than his rampaging inner aura.

"Yes... My name is Ranael. This was my work. It's an Archangel's duty to punish sinners." the angel laughed cruelly, looking down on him.

"I inflicted the wrath of the Heavens on these villagers. I tightened this tentacle around their necks until they ceased breathing..." the angel described while showing her pink tentacles in place of her left upper limb.

"I swallowed some with this arm... And dissolved them away, as they writhed in agony..." the angel kept speaking, revealing a venus flytrap in place of her other arm.

The more she sopke, the more Luka's aura increased in intensity.

I could feel the small accessory on his finger straining to keep his true power contained, as his breathing got quicker and quicker, his heart audibly pumping within his chest...

At every beat, I felt a stab of pain within my own.

But still, I held my ground, waiting for the right moment.

"The villagers here were quite interesting. They kept begging and pleading for Ilias to help them. All while I slowly squeezed them to death..." the angel kept going ,as her hair turned to snakes.

"And crushed them with these tentacles." she concluded, as her white garments were lifted by writhing tentacles replacing her legs.

"Clinging to Ilias all the way to the end... So pathetic. Still begging and pleading to the very person who ordered their deaths!" the Archangel laughed, as I felt the first signs of Luka's power breaking free.

That very instant, I moved.

I knew had no right to interfere with this battle.

But I would not allow my friend to lose something precious again, even something as small as a cracked ring.

I blurred forward, and the instant I felt the seal breaking, I pulled the ring off Luka's limp fingers, barely preserving its integrity.

And as soon as it was off of him...

A star was born within him, burning with terrifying power.

"Ahaha... You look so angry. Looks like your special serene state of mind that I heard about won't help you now! You'll never be able to defeat an Archangel with your heart do... Huh?" the angel stopped, as she noticed the soft aura enveloping her opponent, slowly forming into a single giant wing of light.

I backed off quietly, Luka never even having noticed my actions.

Alice was staring straight at me.

I did not meet her eyes, even as I handed the ring over to her.

I had no right to touch something that precious even for a second longer.

" What is that!? Why does a human have an angel's power!?" the angel yelled in confusion.

"...Ranael. You will fall here. I won't let you do anything like this to anyone else, ever again!" Luka declared, as his inner star burned like a small sun, suffusing his body with a cloak of light.

"Hmph... Arrogant human! Your feeble abilities pale in the face of an Archangel's might!" Ranael yelled out, as she charged forward.

Luka reacted before she even moved, his body moving in tune with his pulsing inner light, dodging her attack effortlessly and retaliating with a slash so fast that it left a trail of light behind it.

"It's humiliating for a man to be toyed with like this..." Ranael drawled, as she tried to use her tentacles to caress Luka's body.

Luka nimbly weaved around her limbs, his blade dancing in a chaotic pattern and shredding them apart without mercy.

"Wh... What is this power!? Are you really human!?" Ranael asked in disbelief.

"What about you? Are you really an angel!? You robbed people of their lives as they prayed to the Heavens! Yet you still consider yourself a messenger of that Heaven!?" Luka countered, as he kept slashing.

"I'll squeeze you with this tentacle!" Ranael yelled out, as a sigular pink appendage shot towards Luka's waist.

However, Luka immediately jumped up and filled his blade with energy, throwing a powerful sphere of light that exploded on contact with his opponent.

By this point, Ranael was visibly growing desperate.

"You damn surface dweller... How dare you!" she yelled out, as all of her appendages started vibrating.

"Hehe... Wait just a moment. I'll bring you to a hell of pleasure... Burn the memory of my power into your eyes..." the Archangel laughed, as she concentrated her power for an ultimate attack.

Poor choice of words, I thought, seeing what Luka was doing.

Instead of preparing to dodge this time, Luka was simply standing there, his eyes closed.

"The setup is finished... Come to me!" Ranael yelled, as she charged forward once more, going for a full-body tackle.

The moment she touched Luka's body, however, was the moment she BURNED, as Luka's inner star exploded in a gigantic burst of light that made the Archangel shriek in agony.

"What... Is that power...? Why does Ilias... Remain silent...?" Ranael weakly stammered, before her body dissolved into particles of light and vanished.

Luka fell to his knees, breathing heavily from the exertion.

Alice immediately rushed towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

I followed behind her, but did not do the same.

"Luka... You..." Alice trailed off, unsure how to end her sentence.

"Alice... Daniel..." Luka called out, as he slowly raised himself from the ground.

I looked Alice in the eye, and then turned a pointed gaze to her hand.

She got my message immediately, as Luka noticed the lack of the small weight on his hand.

"My mother's ring! Where is it!?" Luka startled, before noticing Alice's outstretched hand.

"Oh, thank you, Alice! ...Wait, why is it all cracked?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"...It wasn't able to hold back your power any longer. I suspected that it may have had something to do with that latent potential you displayed before, when you fought Nanabi... But apparently Daniel figured out what it was before me. He was the one that pulled it off your finger before it disintegrated completely." Alice explained.

"...Sorry I wasn't able to prevent it from cracking. I'll try to find a way to repair it." I promised.

"No way, there's no need for you to apologize, you managed to prevent it from breaking completely didn't you? I should be thanking you instead!" Luka immediately disclaimed in a grateful voice.

"Anyway, what kind of power did this ring give me? And didn't you say that you felt no power from it, Alice?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"It's no wonder. That ring wasn't what gave you power. It was the opposite. It was reducing your power." Alice explained.

"Reducing it...?" Luka repeated in incomprehension.

"...I'll say it flat out. Luka, you're an angel." Alice declared.

"Eh...!? How could I be an angel!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"No... It would be more accurate to say you're half-human, half-angel. Likely your mother was the angel. And a particularly high-ranking one at that... Usually one that powerful wouldnt descend to the surface world..." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"M... Mother was...?" Luka muttered in shock.

"...Don't you remember your conversation with Sphinx? About there being a way to turn a monster into a human? That ring is one of the ways to accomplish that for a monster or angel. It's an item able to turn its wearer human." Alice explained.

"My mother wore this ring to make herself human...?" Luka asked.

"It was probably your mother's intention for you to wear that ring and live as a human..." Alice posited.

"T... That can't be. My mother died from an epidemic... If she was an angel, how could she die to disease!?" Luka questioned in disbelief.

"That ring belonged to your mother first, didn't it? She must have worn it until her death." Alice deduced.

"She kept her disguise as a human all the way until the end...?" Luka asked.

"...She didnt merely disguise herself in a human form. With that ring's power she was living as a true, genuine human." Alice declared.

"No... That can't be..." Luka denied in disbelief.

A strained silence fell upon our group, as we stood in the middle of the burning wreckage.

I would have given anything to break it.

But I just didn't have anything to say.

Thankfully, Alice decided to take the burden instead.

"Still, it's odd... There are too few casualties." Alice observed.

"Eh?" Luka exclaimed in confusion.

"I was at your home at the start of our journey. I saw the population of this village... The amount of bodies does not nearly match the population." Alice explained.

"N... Now that you mention it... Did they manage to escape...? Do you think they're alive somewhere!?" Luka yelled in a hopeful tone.

"They could have been taken prisoner.. Or sought refuge somewhere else. I don't know how so many could have escaped from an Archangel class opponent though..." Alice hummed thoughtfully, before starting to sniff the air.

Then she leant over the ground and put her nose in the dirt.

Despite the serious atmosphere, I couldn't help but think to myself just how much she looked like a small dog with a snake tail in that moment...

"There are traces of transfer magic in the air... Here... And here too. Especially here, indoors. It seems as though many of the villagers were teleported out by magic... But who could perform something on such a large scale?" Alice pondered aloud.

"Did they take them all prisoner then...?" Luka guessed.

"That could be, but it wouldn't quite fit... Rather, did someone evacuate the villagers?" Alice deduced.

"Evacuated? I sure hope so..." Luka said wishfully.

"Wait a moment, I'll try to track it down. I don't like the taste of dirt, though." Alice complained, before taking a small clump of earth in her hand and licking it.

After afew seconds of silence she opened her eyes and looked straight at us.

"...Luka. Do you remember that hidden village to the west of here?" Alice asked.

"I believe it was called Enrika... That strange woman was there." Luka replied.

"It seems like it was the people in that village that evacuated the villagers. Just before the angel attacked, they started teleporting many of them out." Alice explained.

"Evacuated... So they are safe!?" Luka yelled hopefully.

"I don't know... I don't want to make wild guesses about why they were teleported. I don't want to get your hopes up..." Alice said noncommitally.

"Don't worry Alice! Thank you! Let's hurry over to Enrika! Galda, come!" Luka called out, as the gigantic bird started descending from the sky.

"Kwweeeh!" Galda called out, as we climbed onto her back and made for Enrika.

I spent the last few minutes before we reached there staring at my comrades' backs, committing the sight to memory in case it would be the last time I saw them.

Whatever happened next, I would do my best to at least give them closure, no matter how painful it would be.

It was the least I could do to repay them for all they had done for me...

And atone for my innumerable sins.


	54. Chapter 53: Secrets and revelations

(PoV: Daniel)

When we finally reached Enrika, we immediately noticed the commotion.

"Oh no, Enrika is under attack!" Luka exclaimed, as we overlooked the ongoing conflict between the village's defenders and the army of angels and Chimeric monsters laying siege to it.

The village's perimeter was not yet broken, but it was clear that it was only a matter of time.

"They're concentrated on the front and rear of the village... Alice, Daniel I'll take the front!" Luka declared.

"Then leave the back gate to me!" Alice proposed.

"I'll lend a hand pushing back the angels wherever I can on both sides, good luck guys!" I concluded, as we all jumped off Galda's back.

While my two comrades fell to the ground, I spread my wings and rocketed towards the largest number of angels.

This time, however, I decided to try to conserve my inner starlight, only infusing my fists with it as I punshed the first enemy I reached.

The result was satisfactory, as the winged being flew back and impacted more of her comrades, forcing them to the ground in a heap.

"What the hell!? How could a ground-dweller possibly harm an angel's sacred body!?" one of them startled, as I kept pummeling left and right.

"Fuck you, that's how." I quipped with a smirk, as I threw a last punch and left the rest of the job to the fallen angels defending the village, already moving towards another group.

In the distance, I could see Luka fighting a Chimeric Monster made up almost entirely of tongues, his movements graceful like water as he slashed with his blade, while Alice punched Chimeric Beasts left and right, blurring around the battlefield.

I kept going even faster, stopping another winged being from laying their claws on a civilian and kicking it in an uncouscious heap back outside the settlement's perimeter.

The battle kept going in this fashion, until suddenly, a soft light started descending from the sky above.

"Is that... Angel reinforcements!?" I heard Luka exclaim, as a powerful bright aura entered my range, an angel sitting upon a throne of snakes appearing in front of him.

"Be careful, Luka! That one isn't weak!" I exclaimed, as I swiftly removed an Elf that was about to be caught by the angel's snakes, before returning to my previous efforts.

"...! Th... Thanks..." the Elf stammered gratefully, after a moment of surprise.

"No problem, just don't lower your guard yet." I nodded, before joining the fray once again.

I still kept an eye out for Luka just in case, but he handled himself well, and quickly managed to seal even the powerful angel, shredding her defenses with his powerful Holy techniques.

"This can't be... How could I be defeated by a criminal!?" the angel whose name I remembered to be Nagael yelled in disbelief, as her body dissipated into particles of light.

"Alright, I managed to beat her!" Luka exclaimed, as the Elves and fallen angels' continuous volleys of arrows routed the approaching armies.

Suddenly, a powerful familiar dark aura entered my range, quickly approaching our position.

"What, even the angels lost? Just as Master Promestein said, they sure are unreliable." Rapunzel scoffed, as she floated out of the army of Chimeric Beasts.

"Y... You're...!"Luka exclaimed in recognition, as he prepared himself for a fight.

"Oh, if it isn't the disgraced Hero... Hahaha, I really want to rape you. Especially if I do it right in front of everyone... Mate like beasts, and get me pregnant." the Chimera drawled hungrily, as she floated closer, her aura surging oppressively.

Luka grimaced and lifted his sword, ready to charge forward...

Only for a familiar blonde woman to interpose herself in front of him.

I knew, at that moment, that there would be no need for me to intervene.

"...Wait." the woman declared, putting a stop to Luka's advance.

"Micaela...?" Luka called out in confusion.

"You can't be... Micaela? I thought you lost your power and parted from the world..." Rapunzel commented in disbelief, with barely a tinge of concealed wariness.

"It's true I don't have the power I once did..." Micaela calmly acknowledged, as she turned to face the Chimeric monster.

The following moment, a terrifying chill permeated the atmosphere, both Luka and the monster instinctively freezing in place.

"...But I'm still more than enough for one or two dogs like you. If you believe my Sword of the Heavens has rusted... You can gamble your life on it." Micaela coolly concluded, looking the monster right in the eyes with a gaze of pure steel.

Rapunzel met her glare with one of her own, as the icy chill in the air only grew colder and more oppressive.

Finally, Rapunzel looked away first.

"...Hehe, you do seem troublesome. Even if I don't lose, it would be bothersome to lose a limb... Withdraw." the Next Doll ordered, as the remaining Chiemeric Beasts turned around and ran away into the forest.

"...But you've only just extended your life a little. Goddess Ilias does not forgive rebels." Rapunzel warned.

"You still know nothing about Ilias. She will neither forgive rebels nor her own worshippers. And monsters like you... It's blindingly obvious what she'll do to you in the end." Micaela sighed with a tinge of pity.

"Goddess Ilias entrusted the proceedings of the old world to us. Do you think I would be fooled by such a pathetic lie?" Rapunzel scoffed, before finally retreating as well, her body shooting towards the forest and disappearing in the vegetation along with the rest of the enemy forces.

Finally, it was over.

"No matter how strong those artificial beings are, they still lack experience... Their battle tactics seem very primitive. To be so easily pushed back by such a simple bluff... The Sword has long ago rusted..." Micaela sighed in contempt.

"To be fair, they're all either mindless beasts or practically newborn children... You can't really expect them to be master tacticians." I shrugged noncommitally, as I landed near her and Luka.

"Indeed..." Micaela acknowledged, her eyes narrowing imperceptibly as she took in my new appearance.

"Micaela, just who are you...?" Luka asked the blonde woman.

"You came, Luka..." Micaela smiled with a soft expression, as she walked closer to him.

At that moment Alice appeared from the rear of the village along with an Elf I faintly recognized from our first visit.

"Master Micaela, we've repulsed them at the rear gate as well. If these two monsters didn't appear, we would be in serious trouble..." the Elf reported, sending me and Alice a grateful glance.

"Hmph... It was just a bunch of boring beasts. This side seems to have been much more interesting." Alice scoffed, breathing just a bit hard and trying to conceal it.

"Yes... It was quite dangerous for a moment. Daniel did most of the work though, he pretty much rebuffed all the angels by himself." Luka acknowledged.

"Eh, it was nothing, they were all complete amateurs relying on their supposed invincibility... Really, you'd think they'd at least TRY to dodge seeing their own comrades being sent flying at them." I sighed dismissively.

"The village was protected thanks to you three. We alone would not have been able to repulse the hand of Ilias..." Micaela said gratefully.

"Oh no, don't mention it... More importantly... Are the people of Ilias village...?" Luka slowly asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yes... Most of them are safe in the village. But some of those who were in the open when the attack came... We had sent a few of ours undercover to evacuate the village, but they still weren't able to save everyone." Micaela said apologetically.

"I... I see..." Luka acknowledged in a mix of sadness for the departed and relief for the still living.

"...Wait a minute, how did you know to...?" I trailed off in confusion.

"After your last visit, we knew our time to prepare was running out. We had been planning for the long-term, but your warning changed that... We knew Ilias village would be targeted soon, so we took just a few more precautions." Micaela explained.

"...I see. As expected of you..." I acknowledged, sighing in relief.

"Wait a minute, what warning?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Now, come this way. We have much to talk about..." Micaela declared.

"Y... Yes..." Luka agreed, as we followed Micaela into the village proper.

~– ~ – ~

"E... Everyone!" Luka exclaimed happily, as he took in the many familiar faces of the survivors of Ilias village.

Some of them were wounded, and most of them were still evidently confused by their current situation, but they seemed to be relieved to be alive as well.

I felt my burden become just a bit lighter at that...

Though I still had to force myself not to bolt anyway.

"Luka, you... You're safe!" A kind older woman I recognized from my first visit yelled in relief.

"Aunt Betty, you are too! Thank goodness... You're okay..." Luka smiled with lucid eyes, as he hugged the old woman tightly.

"Hey! No hugs for you old friend Ronnie here?" A man I recognized from my visit to the tool shop smirked amiably.

"Ronnie! You're okay!" Luka called out happily, as he threw himself to the man's chest, hugging him as well.

I was a bit surprised to see him alive actually, as I faintly remembered Luka mentioning him as one of the casualties in canon.

Nevertheless, I was glad to see Luka hadn't lost at least one of his friends...

"What happened at the village...?" Luka asked Betty, as he finally broke the hug.

"Out of nowhere, angels just attacked. Right when I thought it was the end... The ground underneath me started flashing. Before I could finish thinking to myself 'is that magic?' I was here." Betty explained.

"I was dragged inside my own shop by one of the newest villagers... I didn't expect Marguerite to be quite that strong. Or to have such cute ears! Now I get why she always wore that straw hat, at least..." Ronnie laughed joyfully, as one of the Elves blushed slightly and looked away from him.

"...Hmm, that's quite a large scale teleportation. Transferring so many all at once must require great power." Alice commented, as she slithered closer.

"Oh my, what a cute little girl... You look pale, are you alright? Here, have some candy." Betty kindly offered.

"...Yaay!" Alice childishly exulted, as she took the proferred sweet with a smile.

I smiled for a moment as well, before Luka turned back to Betty.

"So that's how you all got here?" he asked.

"It was really surprising. One second I was there, the next here. But those who didn't make it here..." Betty trailed off mournfully, the mood falling back to a somber atmosphere.

"...What's happening in the world? Even if the people pray to Ilias, she's the one doing it. I was never really that religious to begin with... Those that are, are in complete shock." Betty sighed, looking at a corner of the village full of people with vacant looks in their eyes, some of them lamenting loudly at their faith being repayed with death.

"They look like they're in huge shock..." Luka commented pityfully, as Micaela approached once again, having finished directing the rest of the villagers.

"I have something important to tell you, Luka. It will take a while, so please come to my house, all of you." the woman pleaded.

"Who are you? You can tell me, right?" Luka questioned.

"It's not just my identity. The creation of this war, the Great Monster Wars... And something about the founding Monster Lord that not even you, the current Monster Lord knows. I will tell you everything about this world..." Micaela declared.

"About the founder, you said?" Alice asked in interest.

"I understand. Then please tell us." Luka nodded, as we moved inside the blonde woman's house.

And as we walked, I prepared myself once more for the coming ordeal...

~– ~ – ~

"First, I want to thank you. Thank you for helping out the people of Ilias village." Luka said gratefully as soon as the door closed behind us.

"No... I just regret that everyone couldn't have been saved. We were also attacked at the same time, so the mass transfer didn't go off as well as it should have..." Micaela shook her head dismissingly.

"You still did your best and saved a lot of people. Don't feel bad about it." I declared neutrally.

Micaela nodded wordlessly in acknowledgement, and the mood lifted just a little bit.

"But how can you use that kind of magic? Just what is this village...?" Luka questioned.

"...You're slow, aren't you? Haven't you noticed it yet? This village is for the hidden, just as its name implies. The ones hiding are not humans." Alice scoffed.

"Eh!? So... They're all monsters!?" Luka exclaimed in disbelief.

"Nope. Not all of them, at least..." I corrected.

"Indeed... Most of the inhabitants here are monsters and many are Elves. Those who hated the conflict between humans and monsters fled here to live in hiding. However, though they are few, there are also some fallen angels here." Micaela explained.

"Fallen angels...?" Luka blinked in confusion.

"There are a few angels who rejected Ilias' way of thinking about monsters. Chased from the Heavens, they moved here to the surface world. They are referred to as fallen angels." Micaela declared.

"Could it be... You're one too?" Luka asked in realization.

"Yes... I am one of those fallen angels. The first of the angel sisters created by Ilias. I am the older of us twins." Micaela proclaimed.

"F... First angel?" Luka breathed in awe at the real identity of the woman in front of him.

"Let me tell you everything... This story starts several billion years ago, before this world was formed." Micaela started.

"S... Several billions of years!?" Luka yelled in disbelief.

"Before the world was formed... That's a strange expression. Was this world not created by Ilias?" Alice questioned.

"No... This world was not created by someone. Though it may seem strange, this world was not artificially created by an intelligence." Micaela replied.

I had my doubts about that, but it was a moot point anyway since I had no idea WHO this creator could have been...

Eh, I was never one for religion anyway.

"Wh... What!? Then, Ilias is...?" Luka trailed off.

"Several billions of years after our sun was formed... The primordial Holy and Dark magics were circulating around its chaotic atmosphere. Darkness and Light were kept apart by the chaos of its atmosphere so to speak. Each of those two forces slowly acquired their own will. Ilias was born from the Holy magics. And from the darkness, the Dark God Alipheese came forth." Micaela narrated.

"Dark God Alipheese!?" Alice exclaimed.

"The Dark God conveyed herself as the first Monster Lord. It could be said that Ilias and Alipheese were the incarnation of Dark and Light itself." Micaela nodded.

"So Ilias didn't make the world... She just made up the story and lied about it." Luka deduced.

"Her title as the creator of our world is obviously a lie. But the one who guided life from that star was certainly Ilias. The ego of the sacred light began to sprout others... That is, the Goddess Ilias began forming other beings from herself. Imitating herself, she created two twin lifeforms she called angels." Micaela continued.

"Twin primordial angels... And you're the older one..." Luka repeated numbly, staring at the woman in front of him.

"After that, Ilias created many offshoots of herself. In other words, she created angels. Through trial and error, she was making creations similar to her own existence. But though she made them of her own holy element, each angel had a will of their own. Ilias was never satisfied with just that." Micaela shook her head.

"Why was she going so far to try to create something like herself...?" Luka questioned.

"Perhaps she was lonely... Since she first formed, she spent many millions of years alone. As darkness itself, Alipheese and Ilias could never cross. For a long time, Ilias was absolutely alone..." Micaela posited.

We all took a minute to process that in silence, as I closed my eyes in pity.

"...Now, back to the story. Ilias gave up making copies of herself, and looked toward the life flourishing on the surface. This is several million years ago now... At the time, the surface life of this planet consisted of primitive reptiles and fish. She came to the surface to try and give some of those beings intelligence." Micaela continued.

"I see... To artificially evolve them." Alice deduced.

"Yes, that's correct. Trying to make intelligences similar to her, she inspected the various creatures and eliminated some. She quickly crossed off the giant reptiles roaming the surface, and destroyed them all. To make it easier for mammals to flourish, she changed the enviroment and vegetation. Through hundreds of millions of years of trial and error, she created both small and large mammals. Repeating her process of selection and alimination, eventually monkeys came forth. From more selection and elimination, they grew into humans. And at last, Ilias declared humans 'complete'." Micaela explained.

I knew all of this already, but still, it was quite the story...

I briefly wondered if something similar had happened on my own world as well.

Not that I had any way to verify it obviously...

"She was not able to make humans quickly with her power as a Goddess? Ilias really isn't almighty at all..." Alice scoffed.

"It was as primitive as selected breedng of livestock... Ilias' aim to have direct control of the genome did not come until much later." Micaela shrugged.

"...It's a little confusing, but it's true Ilias created humans, isn't it?" Luka questioned.

"'Created' is still not accurate. Though she may have influenced the evolution, humans appeared on their own. They stood on their own two feet, and became the rulers of the surface world. Making contact with them in their primitive state, Ilias became the source of their worship. But an unwanted existence also lived on the ground... They were the monsters created by the Dark God Alipheese." Micaela continued.

"If Ilias created humans by selective breeding... How did the founding Monster Lord create monsters?" Alice asked.

"I'm sure I don't need to explain it to you, Monster Lord... But the element of Darkness interferes with the genes of an organism. The Dark God Alipheese was able to modify creatures with her own power. Much more directly than Ilias, she was able to influence other creatures' growth." Micaela explained.

"I see... As expected, the Monster Lord was more skilled than Ilias." Alice said smugly.

"...It was not a factor of ability, the difference was due simply to the properties of their own magic. Ilias' holy magic excels at influencing the spirit, so she was able to more easily impart matters of spirit and soul." Micaela disclaimed.

I nodded wordlessly, agreeing with her assessment.

After all, I was living proof she was correct...

"...Now, back to the story. The Dark God Alipheese also formed offshoots of herself. The first was known as Alipheese the second, the second Monster Lord. In addition, Dark God Alipheese combined her own genes with those of six creatures, and created six monsters. They are the legendary monsters that came to be known as the 'Six Ancestors'. All monsters that exist to this day can trace their blood back to one of these six." Micaela narrated.

"Six Ancestors... Didn't Promestein say something about them? That they were sealed..." Luka pointed out.

"Even I have only heard of things like that referenced in ancient legends. I wonder if even Tamamo knows about it...?" Alice pondered.

I kept my expression neutral, unwilling to give anything away.

"That story was not handed down to the surface world. After the Great Monster Wars, Ilias tried to wipe out unfavorable facts..." Micaela explained.

"The Great Monster Wars..." Luka repeated.

"Now then, let us talk about the Great Monster Wars... Around a thousand years ago, the conflict between Alipheese and Ilias was approaching a conclusion. At last, the battle between them began on the surface world itself. An army of angels led by Ilias on one side, with legions of monsters led by Alipheese on the other. Even humans were dragged into it, and the fighting became fierce. I was an Seraph, spearheading assaults by the angel army. I crossed swords with those Six Ancestors many times... Of course, my younger sister showed her might on the battlefield at the same time." Micaela narrated, stealing a single glance at Luka at the mention of her sister.

"So which side won...?" Luka questioned.

"...Ilias was the victor." Micaela admitted.

"Are you saying that the first Monster Lord was defeated by Ilias!? I cannot believe that!"Alice yelled.

"In terms of actual status of the war itself, Alipheese's forces were superior the entire time. The reason Ilias won was due to a cowardly trick..." Micaela continued.

"I believe you now!" Alice cheerfully smiled.

Luka just stared at her in silence.

"The clashes between the two Gods resulted in terrible destruction. They both realized that if they continued fighting, they would have destroyed everything. On the verge of destroying the very world itself, Alipheese hesitated. But Ilias didn't, threatening the very survival of the world." Micaela declared.

"Threaten? If they continued fighting, they would have destroyed the world?"Luka parroted in disbelief.

"Ilias went to Alipheese, telling her to surrender, as she never would. If they kept fighting, both of them, the angels, the monsters and the humans would all perish. But she said that if the Dark God and the Six Ancestors sealed themselves, she would not lay a hand on the other monsters." Micaela explained.

"What cowardice! No, rather than cowardly..." Alice trailed off.

"Yes... She was insane. Threatening the destruction of everything, she used the world as a hostage for surrender. Seeing no other path, the Dark God chose to surrender. Along with the Six Ancestors, they were sealed with a special seal." Micaela continued.

"The Six Ancestors' Great Seal..." Alice deduced.

"By converting their own magic, the Six Ancestors used it to seal themselves away. Alipheese used the same technique to seal herself... And using current technology, Promestein managed to recreate the effects of the seal." Micaela concluded.

"Oh founding Monster Lord... How sad... In excnahge for a guarantee of safety of her children, she sealed herself away... Was she not concerned that Ilias would break her promise?" Alice questioned morunfully.

"Of course... Alipheese knew well Ilias' nature. So they tied in a special trigger event that would cancel the seal into their magic. It was to be released if Ilias broke her promise. At that time, the seal would be broken, and the Dark God would revive." Micaela explained.

"If Ilias breaks her promise, then she will revive? But how is that judged by...?" Alice asked in confusion.

"As you know, when a monster dies, their energy returnes to the world. Like all things, the magic flows into the atmosphere to be used by the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. If a large amount of dark monster magic were released at once, it would impact that transmigration. So the atmosphere itself would become heavily saturated with dark magic. The amount of holy and dark magic must stay in balance, or the seal will break." Micaela elucidated.

"So... If Ilias starts committing genocide against monsters..." Alice started.

"Yes... Dark God Alipheese will awaken from her seal." Micaela confirmed.

"What! I didn't even know that...!" Alice exclaimed.

"That's because this is something Ilias didn't want anyone to know. Wielding her great power, Ilias destroyed the Dark God... That's the story that was more convenient for Ilias." Micaela nodded.

"Wait a second... But Ilias is slaughtering monsters. Thirty years ago, she massacred monsters at Remina... And isn't this re-creation she's trying to do going to kill all of the monsters...?" Luka asked in confusion.

"Of course... Ilias has spent a long time trying to find a way around that. From the moment Dark God Alipheese was sealed, she has been thinking of countermeasures. Developing a new seal... Or a way to manipulate the balance... Measures for the worst-case scenario... If she were to revive. And at last, she decided to order her smartest angels to create a new type of monster." Micaela explained.

"Smart angels... Promestein!?" Luka exclaimed in realization.

"As I said earlier, Alipheese was skilled at directly manipulating organisms. Ilias focused on that, and ordered her subordinate angels to study the underlying principles. Focused on that, it took them roughly 500 years. As a result, they decided on a policy of letting a monster manage the flow of dark magic. For that purpose, Ilias singled out Alipheese the Eight. When she was struck down by the Hero, Ilias saved her life. Under the condition that she would manage the dark monster magic as the world was recreated..." Micaela concluded.

"That's insane..." Luka whispered in horror.

"Yes, Ilias' strategy has gone way too far. Rebels against her finally started to appear. That was my sister... One of the twin angels that Ilias first created." Micaela closed her eyes in reminiscence.

"...As expected, some just couldn't beat it any longer. Even more, for it to be one of her very first allies..." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"My younger sister seemed to have been questioning Ilias ever since the start of the Great Monster Wars. Her insane way of fighting to the very end, even if it would destroy everything... At her collusion with Alipheese the Eight, she finally broke away. She knew that Ilias would try to destroy humanity one day... My younger sister seemes to know exactly what was going to happen." Micaela mused with a tone full of regret.

Luka was silent.

"As I said before, my sister led an army of angels. There was only one who could match her might... Therefore I, one of equal power, was chosen to hunt her down. Holding hesitations in my heart, I stood in front of her. The fight with my younger sister was extremely fierce... Suffering serious wounds, she became a fallen angel and escaped to the surface world." Micaela continued.

"...Did you let her escape to the surface world on purpose?" Alice asked.

"I cannot say for sure... Doubt in Ilias had already been flaring up in my mind. A few hundred years later... Ilias finally set into motion what she had been planning for years. giving orders to her angels, she ordered the humans and monsters coexisting in Remina to be annihilated. She justified it by saying they were performing large-scaled magic experiments. That the arrogant move was enough for them to be destroyed. After all, Ilias hates most those who refuse to follow her. Her true nature is one of jealousy and possessiveness, paranoid about others..." Micaela narrated in a voice full of loss and pain.

Again, Luka could only stay silent.

"Like my sister, I finally realized Ilias' true nature. Escaping the Heavens, I came to the surface world. I decided to protect the other fallen angels. Not too long ago, I settled in this village. This place already had the reputation of being a hidden village of monsters..." Micaela explained.

"A hidden village, huh..." Luka said in a pondering tone.

"After descending to the surface, I searched for my missing sister. After falling, she seemed to have wandered the surface world for several hundred years. And one day, she happened to meet a Hero who was in the midst of despair. Falling in love, she decided to live out her days as a human with him. And until the very end, she lived and died as a human. My sister's name was..." Micaela trailed off.

"...Lucifina. My mother." Luka finished for her, his voice solemn.

"Luka is the child of one of the original angels? That is surprising, even to me..." Alice admitted.

"Are you shocked, Luka? To know that you are not a pure human?" Micaela asked in concern.

"...No, Micaela. I'm proud. My existence itself is proof that humans, monsters and angels could all get along." Luka declared.

"I see... You truly grew up to be a good child... By the way, Luka. Do you know about your father's family?" Micaela smiled softly.

"No... I never really knew my father." Luka admitted.

"Your father is Marcellus, a descendant of the Hero Heinrich. That means you're from a line of legendary Heroes." Micaela informed Luka, his eyes comically bulging out of his head at the revelation.

"I'm... Related to Heinrich?" he all but squeaked in awe.

"Bred from legendary Heroes and angels... It explains why you are superhuman in various ways." Alice hummed thoughtfully.

"But it was that family history that brought Ilias' attention towards you. I'm sure my sister deeply regrets that... Even though I was worried about you, the orphan of my late stsiter... I didn't know what Ilias would do if I ever made contact with you. As a result, I left you alone all this time... Luka, please forgive my incompetence." Micaela pleaded apologetically.

"No, no... It's enough that you saved the people of Ilias village." Luka denied.

"...That's the end of my story. You three will be fighting against Ilias now, won't you?" Micaela questioned.

"Yes!" Luka declared.

"Of course." Alice agreed.

I simply nodded wordlessly.

"I have lived on the surface for so long now, I cannot fight any longer... The air in the surface world is not very good for angels. It's regrettable, but I can only pray for your victory... Oh? I thought I ordered nobody to disturb us for a while..." Micaela suddenly perked up as a familiar aura approached.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a somewhat disheveled Elf.

"Master Micaela, there's trouble! A powerful monster has appeared!" the Elf reported.

"Oh no... Another enemy attack!?" Luka exclaimed, picking up his sword.

"Don't worry. She's friendly. She's a Kitsune with nine tails, isn't she? Let her in." I declared.

"Eh...?" Luka stopped, blinking in confusion for a moment.

"...I see. Please let them through to here." Micaela agreed, despite her slight hesitation.

A moment later a familair small girl entered the house.

"Thank you, I'm coming in." Tamamo nodded gratefully to Micaela, closing the door behind her before her gaze fell on me.

"What's wrong, Tamamo? Did something happen?" Alice questioned.

"...While investingating the silver discs, I found some information about the seal on the spirits. I thought you would want to know right away." Tamamo replied, tearing her gaze off of me, but still stealing glances from time to time.

"...It has been a while, Tamamo." Micaela greeted.

"What irony, for our reunion to be in this manner... I would like to speak with you, but there are a few things to discuss first." Tamamo declared, before turning back to our group.

"The seal on the spirits is completely different than the seal on the Monster Lord. The range is world-wide, and it's being maintained on a massive scale. It's designed to drastically reduce their power... But it's not exactly a perfect seal. The seal is weakening them, making it so that you can no longer communicate with them." Tamamo told Luka.

"They were weakened, not sealed? So that's what the seal is doing?" Luka questioned.

"Weakened by the seal, they all returned back to their original dwelling spaces. With their power so limited, not even your voice can reach them." Tamamo nodded.

"Back to their original dwelling spaces...?" Luka repeated.

"Why were they sent back to their own dwellings? Wouldn't they have been killed as soon as they were weakened?" Alice questioned.

"Because their existence itself is a power of nature. If you were to kill them, nature itself would be sent into disorder. Even the heavens seem reluctant to do that." Tamamo elucidated.

"So I just need to go back to them again?" Luka asked.

"It's true that you should be able to re-contract with them... But if that seal isn't dealt with, they will be very weak and near powerless." Tamamo disclaimed.

"Still, I'm going to get them back. I'm sure they're feeling lost and lonely after that suddenly happened..." Luka declared.

"Yes... But be careful. The Heavens will do their utmost to block you at every step. I'll continue investigating how to break the seal. There are so many disca I'm getting all of the Kitsunes to come help decipher them." Tamamo nodded.

"Thank you, Tamamo. I know what I need to do." Luka said gratefully.

"Good. But the last news is bad news. Chimeric Beasts and angels are attacking towns and villages all over the world. Resistances are holding out all over, but they are slowly being overwhelmed. It's jsut a matter of time before they fall..." Tamamo said worriedly.

"That damn Ilias really is going all-out, isn't she?" Alice growled through gritted teeth.

"...Yes, we can't leave that alone either... Alice, Daniel let's go and... Eh?" Luka stopped, as he sat up from his chair and blinked in confusion for a second, obviously feeling lightheaded as he staggered lightly.

"Careful. Sit down slowly." I said, as I helped him getting back to his seat despite his reluctance.

"...It seems the angel power awakening in you is having an impact on your body. Even if you have the power of an angel in you, your body is still that of a human. Excess use of holy magic will eat into your body. You should rest here for at least an hour." Micaela declared.

"If I rest, then the other towns will..." Luka protested.

"If you leave in your current state, you won't help anybody. As a result, your leaving will simply guarantee their destruction." Micaela admonished.

"She's right you know? You have to be careful with that power, it's not weak at all." I confirmed.

"...Then, if you insist, I'll take a short rest." Luka acquiesced.

"...Yes, you have some time to rest. However... Daniel." Tamamo suddenly called out, as everyone turned to look at me.

"Yes, Daniel... I believe it's high time you answer some questions. Tamamo is here, and at this point I'm assuming the other person you wanted to be present was Micaela? I don't blame you for not wanting to mention her name in the middle of enemy territory, but now we're really running out of time... And you did make a promise." Alice concluded in a serious voice.

Luka said nothing, simply looking at me with a determined expression.

I looked them both in the eyes, meeting both their gazes for a second.

Then I looked away and sighed heavily, knowing that the moment I had been dreading had finally come.

"...I know. I'll keep my promise. There's just one last thing I need to do first." I declared, as I closed my eyes in concentration, feeling my inner star's power flow into my right hand.

"...? Daniel, what are you..." Luka started, before I blurred from my spot and instantly reached the window-like pattern of bright energy hidden in the corner of the ceiling, smashing my glowing limb into it in a small explosion of light, hoping and praying that my half-assed countermeasure both would or would not work...

And to my immense relief and horror, the window shattered and dissipated with a cracking sound akin to glass breaking, the energy composing it becoming visible for but a moment as I caught a glimpse of a blonde, winged woman's surprised face on the other side, before the image disappeared in floating motes of light.

And with it, went the last of my excuses...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Ilias)

Even as the Goddess worked on her new project tirelessly, she never strayed too far away from her scrying pool, her angels having been warned not to approach under any circumstances.

Ilias had been distracted during the debacle at Promestein's lab, and regretted missing HER LUKA's brilliance as she repelled her traitorous subordinate's assault.

However, she still had managed to witness the moment her Hero's true power finally awakened, her heart soothed by his marvelous inner star, so similar to her own...

Truly, they were meant to be, tied together by fate itself...

Soon, the Goddess thought.

Soon...

But before that, she would have to take care of that Devil first.

Oh, how she hated that man's disgustingly handsome face, damnable sculpted body and loathsome silver tongue...

Most of all, however, she hated how she knew nothing about him, her useless servants having been unable to find even a single clue about his true origin no matter where they looked.

She would never admit how much that worried her.

Ilias had many theories about him.

Perhaps he was an ancient monster who somehow managed to survive the Wars, or maybe he could even have been an offshoot of her worst enemy, somehow sent through the Seal by the treacherous opponent.

No matter how much she thought about it, she knew he was definitely much more than just a normal human or monster, but she still had no idea what the truth was.

Finally, however, as the group of enemies and her Hero sat inside the traitor Micaela's house it seemed like she would find out for herself, as the clever enemy finally made a misstep, ignorant of the fact that she was always watching over HER LUKA...

Or at least so she had thought.

The Goddess couldn't help but blanch, as suddenly all that she could see through the scrying pool became an image of HIS eyes, staring right at her as his fist crashed through the complicated spell array and blasted it to bits.

For a moment, she stared numbly at the clear waters, the powerful magics that had been cast upon them now rendered completely useless.

Then the Goddess and the voice in her head both SCREAMED once more in rage and fear, as the Heavens trembled from her might again...

When she finally calmed down again, Ilias looked at the pool in front of her.

All that could be seen within, however, was her own reflection.

She witnessed her own perfect hair disheveled and full of knots, her beautiful dress crumpled by the force of her grip on it, her radiant wings ruffled.

Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with hatred, as her face twisted into a scowl...

And then she laughed.

It was not a laugh born of happiness or despair, of mirth or ridicule.

No, it was a laugh that promised pain to all who heard it, as the Goddess vowed to make all who dared to oppose her pay...

Especially the Devil who had dared to cause her such pain.

No matter what, she would never forgive him for taking away

H̴̨̢̟̺̹͓͔̤̣̻̩̑́́̋͛͌̄̆̏̏͊͜͝Ẹ̵̢̛̯̬͙̰̝̬͑̿̓̆͐̾͒̈́̐̈́̓̿̊͝R̴̨͍̼̰̙̯̭̭̤͈̺̖͛̒̇͊̀Ŗ̵͚͕̮̩̝̲̓̃̿̑̒̒R̴̢͍͙̤̜̬̥̮͚̜̪̩̫͑͆́̀̄͒͛̃̃̈͗͘̕͜͜͝ ̶̘͚̞̺̭̬̞̖͂͌̃͗͂̑̅Ľ̸̡̢̯̳̖̥͕͙̻̮̩͍̲̇̃͆̂̓̃͝L̸̡̢̧̡͖̠̝͈̬̟̭̪̰̟̏̀̊̀̈́͘̚͝L̸̢̛̠̫̣͍͙͚̣̐͌̂͊̀͜͜Ų̵̨̨͉͕͓͍̘͎̙͙̲̼̯̱͒̈̑̅̂̈́͆̒͐̽̐̆͠͝Ų̸̧̛̼̪̯̱̰̳͖̠̊̎͑̈Ǔ̷̧̢̠͉̖̗͚͋K̶̢̙̣͕̮̦̈̔̂̐̚͠Ķ̸̨͍͔̪̰͕̼̝͚̼̊̆̆̉̂̽͊̏̈̒̀̕K̶͍̥̬̰͔͉͚͕̦̰̼̩͐͝A̴̧̡̨̫̬̠͉̤̱͇̪̾̀̌̈̌͐͜͜͠͝A̷̱͖̪͚̱̐̀̚͘A̷̼̫̤͈̗̽̒̂̿́̄͐͋͊͗̈́͊͒̏͛ͅ!

.

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Daniel)

"...! What was that!? Daniel, what did you just do!? Was that Ilias on the other side!?" Luka questioned in confusion, as the rest of the people in the room all stared at me with wide eyes.

"That was... A scrying spell!? Since when...!" Alice trailed off in alarm, her energy surging as she scanned for more hidden magics.

"Incredible... No one has ever managed to sense Ilias' spying magic, Heaven's Scrying Pool is something even I lack countermeasures for... Then again I suppose it ought to be expected of one such as you." Micaela smiled in pleasant surprise.

"What? Micaela do you know about...!" Tamamo started asking, before noticing my appearance changing, my body slowly returning to my human form.

"Daniel, what are you...!?" Luka stopped, as my knees fell to the ground, my head bowed low enough to almost touch the floor as I breathed heavily.

I had been preparing for this moment from the very start of my journey.

I never held any illusion that I could somehow avoid it forever.

However, at the same time, I always had done my best to forget about it, even for just a moment.

I had hid behind a fortress of lies and half-truths, desperately trying to distract others AND myself from the truth.

I just wanted to hide the real me so desperately, knowing at every step of the way that I was nothing but an intruder in this world...

In truth, I was almost grateful for Ilias' continuous surveillance, as it gave me a reason to never reveal anything truly important about me.

But now, even that was gone, leaving me with nothing to hide behind anymore.

And so, all that was left was the one thing I had never allowed myself to let the world see...

The immense, overwhelming guilt I carried within my heart.

I wanted to apologize, to beg for forgiveness for everything I had hidden from them, the most important friends and family I had ever had...

But I knew deep inside that, no matter what, I had no right to be forgiven.

For the first time, I was actually glad for the effect Tamamo's aura had on my psyche.

I didn't think I'd be able to pull through this otherwise...

Before Luka could get in a word edgewise, I raised my head and started talking.

"Ilias' true objective isn't just to re-create the world. What she really wants is for Black Alice to consume her after injecting herself with the completed version of Promestein's drug called 'White Rabbit'. Then, after Black Alice is defeated, she will emerge from her body with a part of her power, as their auras mixed and intermingled during her consumption, becoming a 'True Goddess of Light and Dark'... THIS is the real reason for this war, and the real reason for her interest in Luka, as she believes he is the only one that could beat Black Alice in her empowered state. Also, even in its completed form, 'White Rabbit' still isn't safe for the user I don't think... Promestein actually plans on taking a dose herself and absorbing Luka in order to stop Black Alice, but both of them will end up dying after Luka beats them, even using Angel Halo. Something about the formula probably messes with the user's mind and body, altering their properties somehow and making the blade's effect somehow lethal." I started explaining.

"...You mean Ilias already knows Black Alice and Promestein are going to betray her!? And that they have no idea that was her plan from the start!?" Luka asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, that makes sense... Given her personality, it's impossible for Ilias to trust anyone in that manner, especially a monster. However, that strategy is indeed troublesome..." Micaela hummed thoughtfully.

"Whoa, wait a minute, are you telling me that Ilias actually WANTS to be eaten!? That's completely insane, even for her!" Alice yelled in disbelief.

"...I think all of you are missing the main point here. Namely... How does Daniel know all of this?" Tamamo pointed out.

"...! That's right! Daniel, how the hell did you manage to find out about this!?" Luka questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, Daniel... How DID you know?" Alice repeated, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

For a moment, I still couldn't help but hesitate, not even Tamamo's aura being enough to steady my beating heart.

"...I think I may have an idea actually." Micaela chimed in before I could actually answer.

"Oh? Do tell." Tamamo requested.

"Simple, really. Daniel here is the son of Luka and Alice here who traveled back in time from the future." Micaela deduced.

Dead silence reigned in the room for about a full minute after that comment, as everyone slowly processed the fallen angel's words...

Finally both Alice and Luka's face became a shade of red close to a ripe tomato, as they both yelled out in a chorus.

"...EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!?" they exclaimed at such a high pitch Tamamo held her ears painfully, while I just stared at Micaela's face, completely gobsmacked by her unfounded crazy theory.

"So, did I get it right?" Micaela smirked knowingly.

Both Alice and Luka turned to look at me with absolutely panicked faces, sputtering incoherently.

"...Actually, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I mean, do I look anything like these two shorties here!? And my hair isn't even CLOSE to that ridiculous purple! Seriously, how the hell did you even come to that conclusion!?" I questioned incredulously.

"...Eh? I'm wrong? But you have the same eyes as the Monster Lord in that other form..." Micaela blinked in surprise.

"About that, I've actually been wondering... Don't take this the wrong way, but just WHAT are you, Daniel? If you were just a powerful shapeshifting monster it'd be understandable, but you also have no aura whatsoever, and your senses are different from anyone else's to be able to perceive that hidden spell even I and Micaela missed..." Tamamo questioned.

"...It's not just that spell, Daniel here can actually sense the elemental energy in the atmosphere. He once told me he could count the number of leaves on a tree without even looking at it, and I have no reason to disbelieve him on that." Alice commented.

"What!? That's impossible! Only the four Spirits are supposed to be able to sense ambient energy, and even then only the one corresponding to their own element! Just WHO are you!?" Micaela exclaimed in disbelief.

As everyone else turned to look at me once more, I knew this was it.

There was no going back after this.

I could only hope that they wouldn't be hurt too badly from the truth I had been hiding...

Taking yet another deep breath, I started talking.

"...My name IS Daniel, that is no lie. I used to be 'human', though that has now changed, along with many other things... But you're all correct in thinking I am far from normal. Well, at least by your standards... And my own as well at this point..." I trailed off for a moment, closing my eyes in resignation.

"You probably noticed already, but I lied about my hometown being on Sentora. I'll say this now, but it's not on Ilias continent or Hellgondo either. Or Heaven for that matter. No matter how long you look for it, you won't find it. And the reason for that is simple..." I raised my eyes to look at the group before continuing.

"I don't actually know how this was made possible. It could be that there's some unfathomably powerful someone behind it, more powerful than even Ilias and the First, or maybe it's all just a freak cosmic accident... But regardless of HOW I got to this world, I was not, in fact, born on it. For all intents and purposes, compared to the humans, monsters and angels of this world, I am an alien existence." I finally declared.

Everyone just stared mutely at me for a while, slowly processing my words.

Then Luka and Alice's jaws dropped to the floor, Micaela and Tamamo's eyes widening in complete surprise.

"...Well, I didn't see that one coming." Micaela admitted in a strained voice.

"To be fair, me neither... This trip wasn't exactly in the program for me..." I wryly confessed.

"...I guess that explains how you somehow didn't know about monsters needing to sleep, as well as a few other things... But wait, that doesn't make any sense... If you claim you are not of this world, then how do you still know so much about monsters?" Luka questioned.

"Yeah, and also about Ilias' plans... Even if some of the knowledge you showed is fairly common, THAT piece of information definitely is not common knowledge at all. Also, you said you WERE 'human', but if that's the case, what are you now? And when did that change happen?" Alice inquired.

I knew this was simultaneously the part I dreaded the most and the one I desperately wanted to get off my chest.

But I didn't allow myself to waver.

No matter how much I wanted to stop and run...

"...I got to this world a little before Alice here clashed with Ilias near Luka's village. One moment I was walking along a street in my hometown, the moment after I was in a forest I didn't recognize. At first, I couldn't even move my body. I'm not sure if it's because my world has no magic or if it's just a result of the trip I went through to get here or any other possible reason really, but my 'aura sense' was instantly overwhelmed by the energy around me, and my brain just couldn't manage to make sense of all the information it gave me... To make things worse, I couldn't use it to find my own body, since I had no aura of my own, and so everything was a bit of a blur there for a while, with me just lying on the ground unable to even feel my own limbs. Then I felt someone I now know to be Ilias teleporting in my range, and Alice striking her with Angel Halo a moment later, before being smacked down herself. For a moment I was even worried she would land on top of me, but thankfully she overshot me, before the shockwave sent me flying headfirst onto a tree. Even better, that was enough of a sensory stimulation to let me get some clarity and get my body back." I started narrating.

"You're welcome." Alice smugly interrupted.

I just sighed and moved on.

"Anyway, after that I had absolutely no idea where I was, or what was happening. I was about to start moving when Luka entered my range as well. I got curious, and decided to take a quick look in order to maybe ask some questions... And then I saw you two talking to each other in that clearing." I continued.

"Why didn't you just walk in? You should have had no idea who we were, right?" Luka questioned.

I simply stayed silent.

"...Wait, are you saying you recognized us as soon as that? But how?" Alice asked in confusion.

I sighed deeply once before talking again.

"...I'll say this beforehand, but even now this is the part I don't expect you two to believe right away. Not because it isn't true, but because even I have a hard time doing so, despite literally living through it. And it's also the main reason I theorised the presence of someone organizing this mess behind the scenes. It's just too big a coincidence..." I quickly disclaimed.

"Oh, just stop stalling and say it already!" Alice snapped.

"Daniel, no matter what you say I promise we won't doubt you. You have done so much for us, you're our friend... Please, stop holding back for our sakes." Luka pleaded warmly.

For a moment my eyes widened at the sudden influx of emotions.

Then I forced my eyes closed, stopping the tears from forming.

"...I'm sorry Luka, but you're wrong." I firmly declared.

"...? What do you mean?" Luka asked.

"I'm not the kind of person you think I am. Sure, there's a part of me that cares for others too, but mostly I am concerned about myself first, all the time. And if you want proof of that... I knew about you and Alice before I met you because I read about you in a story." I concluded in a solemn tone.

"...Eh?" Luka blinked in confusion for a moment, before his eyes widened along with everyone else in the room.

"What...? Are you saying... This world is inside a book?" Alice asked in a baffled voice.

"What's that supposed to mean? This world is a story?" Tamamo questioned in much the same tone.

"I don't know WHAT this whole crazy situation is. As I said, I have no idea how or why I got here. But as soon as I met Luka and Alice, I could instantly recognize them both from the story's illustrations. And after listening to their conversation, I confirmed that the events currently in motion were the same as the ones I read about, if not for my presence... That said, I just want to clarify one thing. I don't believe this world to be fictional, in any way. You guys are not just characters in a book, so don't bother having something as stupid as an existential crisis. And even if I know how things were meant to go originally, there's no guarantee they will be the exact same now, especially since I wasn't supposed to be here from the start." I declared firmly.

"But wait... Why would there be a book about us?" Luka questioned in confusion.

"No, more importantly... Daniel..." Alice started, her tone taking a much more strained timbre as she realized the implications of my words.

I met her gaze for a moment, and then closed my eyes, nodding wordlessly once as the rest of the room except for Luka froze.

"...? What? What's going on?" Luka asked in surprise.

Somehow, it hurt even more to see him still so utterly clueless...

Nevertheless, I had chosen my path a long time ago.

Whatever would happen now, it would only be my just desserts...

Looking at him right in the eyes, I started talking again.

"Luka... I knew everything from the start. I knew about your parents and Lazarus. I knew about Alice's mother and what she did after she died. I knew about Tamamo and Micaela's pasts, and about the invasion that is happening right now before it even started. I knew all of it. And I lied to you all in order to survive." I finally confessed, my expression perfectly neutral as I stared at my stunned friends' faces.

For a minute, silence reigned once more, no one in the house even moving a single muscle.

Then, Luka slowly started walking forward.

I closed my eyes in resignation, preparing myself for the worst.

"...So this is what you were hiding all this time." he calmly deduced, stopping right in front of me.

I nodded wordlessly, expecting his hand to go to his sword...

And then I completely froze, my brain failing to comprehend what was happening as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my chest.

"...All this time, you were protecting us all. You alone knew the real danger we were facing all along, with Ilias watching us every step of the way from the start, and carried the burden of that knowledge. You knew you could not stop Ilias' armies from attacking eventually, didn't you? But you still tried your best to make sure both us and the world as a whole were as ready as we could be for it. You put yourself in harm's way for everyone else's sakes multiple times, despite this not even being your original world. You felt guilty for knowing about our pasts too, despite it not being even remotely your fault. You were forced to lie to us in order to make sure Ilias never found out about you, lest she started the war too early, unable to do anything about her spying on us yet, even though you could literally feel her eyes on you at all times... " Luka spoke in a quivering voice, as he tightened his arms around me.

"It happened in Succubus village, didn't it? The change, I mean. But it didn't start there, did it? I should have realized after what had happened with Sylph's wind, and later with Sara's own transformation... It was Alice and the others, wasn't it? They all contributed somehow, that much is obvious. But only you knew what was happening, and you knew why... And still, you decided to stick with Alice and me, and never once did you stray from our side for longer than you had to, only doing so to give us some privacy when we needed it. You willingly gave away your very humanity for us, no matter how much it hurt you to do so, physically and mentally..." Luka continued, his voice growing steadier and steadier, even as his arms trembled...

Or were the trembling limbs mine?

I really couldn't tell you by that point.

Still, props to the kid for actually getting things right so far...

Then again, I had always known he was far smarter than he looked most of the time.

Definitely smarter than me, at any rate...

"But even before that, you were already doing everything you could in order not to be a burden. You trained harder and harder every day, despite being unused to it in the beginning, and as soon as you were ready, you jumped into the battlefield at my side... And you did all this despite your own fears, and your hatred of needless fighting. Even further, you always made sure I would get all the fighting experience I needed, and went out of your way to help ME improve, only refusing to spar with me because you couldn't bear the thought of hurting me, no matter the circumstances..." Luka kept speaking, as I looked at his purple-haired head buried in my chest with a completely baffled expression.

"You always did your level best to make sure me and Alice wouldn't suffer whenever you could, despite the risks involved if Ilias started suspecting you. Everywhere you went, you did the same toward every single person you met, without expecting anything in return, even the ones who hurt you, or you just didn't like. Not once did you lash out in anger, even towards the most cruel of opponents, and you patiently tried ot teach me to do the same despite me proving my own inability to do so multiple times already... Even so, you never gave up on me or anyone else, always helping everyone you meet bring out the best parts of themselves they did not even know they had..." Luka raised his head, his moist but determined eyes meeting my own.

"...Daniel. You are the single most brave, kind, and loyal person I ever met, and I am honored to call you my friend." he concluded, a proud smile spreading on his face.

For a few moments I could only sit there and stare back at him, utterly stunned...

Then the tears started falling, as I broke down completely, Tamamo's aura being no match for the veritable flood of emotion coursing through me.

And as I wailed and sobbed without the slightest restraint, I could only thank a God I didn't believe in for literally everything...

~– ~ – ~

(PoV: Eden)

As Ilias' most loyal servant directed the troops under her command from the Heavens, she couldn't help but feel irritated at her Goddess' lack of confidence in her.

Of course, Eden would never think of blaming the Goddess for anything, the fault lied solely on the ones who kept deceiving her and undermining the Seraph's authority at every turn...

And obviously, on the male monster who dared to cause Ilias so much grief.

From the moment she had learned of his existence, Eden had barely managed to hold herself back from descending herself in order to punish him.

Unfortunately, her Goddess' orders were clear.

She was to stay in Heaven and handle things while Ilias herself worked on a secret project.

No one was to disturb her, no matter the circumstances.

The show of faith would have been a point of pride for the Seraph, if not for the singular fact that the two traitors had the same authority as her above their respective armies, and she was expressely not allowed to interfere with their business.

Why, oh why did Ilias give those inferior ones so much trust?

Was Eden not worthier than them both combined?

They were but a low-ranked angel and an earth-dweller, and she was a Seraph!

Eden knew it was not her place to question her Goddess' wisdom, but she still couldn't help but tremble in frustration whenever she thought about the insults levied at her by the two damned snakes...

Especially when they dared to remind her of her original title.

She was not the Third anymore!

The First AND Second Seraphs had both defected, they had abandoned their Goddess!

SHE was the First now!

Her Goddess' own right hand!

Her most loyal subordinate, bar none!

They should have bowed to her the moment she graced them with her holy presence!

Oh, how she wanted to unleash her unmatched Holy power bestowed upon her by the Goddess to erase those smirks from their ugly faces...

However, the Goddess' orders were far more important than her own misgivings.

She would not allow herself to waver in her duty, no matter what.

After all, she was the only one who truly understood Ilias' heart...

And she would break those who dared to harm it once she finally received permission from her.

It was only a matter of time...

Until then, she would not betray her Goddess' confidence, leading her armies with infinite zeal.

There were sinners to be punished after all...

"Master Eden... The deployment has been finished, as you ordered. I've posted high-ranking angels as guards at each spirit location. In addition, we have finished assigning our corps for each battle zone. The deployment of Promestein's Chimeric Beasts has also been completed." the Archangel Mariel reported.

"Promestein... Did she accomplish her duty? Even though it might be a simple task to clean the surface world with the angel army..." Eden hummed doubtfully.

"It is as you say. Why did Ilias give a special role to that one...?" Mariel hummed in agreement.

"...Do not say anymore than that. Unless you intend to disagree with Ilias' orders?" Eden warned.

"No... I did not mean..." Mariel nervously denied.

"Though... Your apprehensions are not misguided. That one, and Black Alice, will surely poison Ilias. It is my duty as a Seraph to take the first step. I will not forgive the traitors who look down upon Goddess Ilias..." Eden muttered to herself, as an angel in a pink dress approached.

"Master Eeeeeeden! I have a repooooort!" the Cupid chimed, before whispering something in the Seraph's ears.

"I see, I knew it... Please continue monitoring." Eden nodded in acknowledgement, before ordering.

"Affitmatiiiiive! I'm oooooooff!" the Cupid saluted, before vanishing.

"...Your hand is already in motion? As expected of Eden, the Great Third Seraph!" Mariel cheerfully complimented.

"The Third... You said? I am the Third...?" Eden glared menacingly.

"N... No... I did not mean..." Mariel grimaced fearfully.

"...Pay it no mind. Now go to the surface. Make sure the invasion goes off without a hitch." Eden commanded.

"Yes, I will ensure it!" Mariel assured, before quickly flying off, leaving Eden alone.

"...I am not the Third anymore...Micaela and Lucifina betrayed Goddess Ilias... I am a Seraph! I am Ilias' first servant! I am not the Third!" the winged being yelled out to no one, the small tears gathering in her eyes unseen by all...


End file.
